


Hearts and Machinery

by luxaeterna



Category: The Transformers (Cartoon Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Multi, Other, ive never published anything before so yknow, rating will prolly go up and more ships will be added, reader slowly becomes a robot fucker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-12-20 09:39:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11918172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxaeterna/pseuds/luxaeterna
Summary: After hearing the news about giant robots in and around your area, you decide to try and see if you can get closer, and just how far you can get with these (hot) aliens.





	1. Chapter 1

Ever since you heard the news that the Earth was now the current battleground between giant robots in a war spanning millions of years, you were ecstatic. This was likely the coolest thing that's ever happened to you, and you weren't even directly involved. Despite the danger, you'd actually managed to sneak your way into a brawl between the Autobots and Decepticons some time ago. Well, not really, you'd been peeking from around a corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of any action. You couldn't hear anything, save for a few gunshots, and the sound of metal colliding into metal. The sight, however, was one to behold. There was a blue robot... uh, probably an Autobot. You couldn't really tell, but you were excited nonetheless. Just as things were starting to get good, the big gray robot leading the Decepticons flew away into the sky, taking his crew with him. The Autobots transformed, and had sped off in a different direction. That little taste of extraterrestrial conflict really got you going, and from that moment on, your goal was clear. You were gonna meet one of those giant robots, no matter what.

That was a few weeks ago, and you'd gotten no closer to your goal. The news was always talking about the Autobots saving the day in places like Peru or New York. How were you supposed to find them if they never stayed in one place? Surely they had a base of operations you could try and find. It was pretty silly to be sulking over something like this, but you were anyway. You were walking down the street, making your way to the local diner to drown your sorrows in a milkshake. That is, until you spotted a peculiar yellow car parked in front of the diner. It caught your attention for a fraction of second before you realized that yes, while one of the Autobots IS yellow, it's probably just a normal car. Lost in your thoughts, and still walking, you didn't even notice you bumped into someone. 

“Uh, sorry, excuse me...” You said dismissively, glancing at the yellow car once again. 

“It's no problem! Hey, don't I know you?” The stranger said to you in a chipper tone. You turned to face him, and saw that he was very familiar, sort of. He looked like every generic teenage boy ever. “Yeah, I know you! You graduated a while ago, didn't you?” 

“Yeah. No offense, but what's your name?” You said, rubbing your neck awkwardly. It wasn't every day someone actually recognized you. During your days in high school, you weren't exactly front and center. You were more like a cryptid; every now and then a blurry photo of you would surface.

“Oh, sorry about that. I'm Spike. Spike Witwicky.” He grinned at you. “I'm a freshman, but I saw your picture in the paper with all the other graduates.” 

Oh god. Who is this freshman trying to talk to you? In any other case, you would find an excuse to end the conversation and go on your way. Spike is just a kid, though. For the sake of being polite, you try and think up some more topics for small talk. 

“Haha, yeah, I actually didn't know they'd be putting our pictures in the paper like that... Uh, what are you up to?” You laugh, hoping that you look friendly and not deranged. It seems to be working, since Spike keeps on talking.

“Oh nothing, Bumblebee and I were out for a drive, and I wanted to stop for a bite to eat.” Spike leans against the passenger door of the yellow car. Wait, Bumblebee? Isn't that...? Your eyes widen and you visibly tense up. Spike seems to notice and laughs a bit. He pats the hood of the car. 

“Hey, Bumblebee, where do you wanna go next?” Spike steps away from the car as it begins to shift. Before you know it, you have a 10 foot tall robot standing over the two of you. Your knees feel weak and your palms begin to sweat; you're just missing the vomit on your sweater and your mom's spaghetti, and judging by the way your stomach is turning, the vomit isn't too far behind. Who'd have thought the key to your robotic-based goals would lie in an awkward conversation with Generic Freshman #34? You always thought you'd be pulling out all the stops when this happened; charm the non-existent pants off these fine-ass robots, but right now you're at a loss for words. You try and regain your composure, and give Bumblebee a small wave. Very smooth, now reel him in. Ignoring Spike's previous question, Bumblebee crouches down to your level.

“You don't need to look so scared. What's your name?” While amicable enough, Bumblebee is still making you nervous beyond belief. You manage to look right into his pretty blue eyes and tell him your name. Out of instinct, you extend your hand and internally wince. Stupid. He's literally an alien robot. Why in the hell would he do handshakes? Right as you're about to pull your hand back, he grasps it. Bumblebee's hand engulfs yours completely; it's uncomfortably hot, and he shakes a bit forcefully. But the only thing on your mind right now is that he _touched_ you.

You're almost saddened when he lets go. Your hand still has warmth lingering on it, only slightly hurting. Spike taps on Bumblebee's arm, trying to reinsert himself in the conversation. 

“Hey Bee, why don't we introduce them to the others? They seem like a fan!” Spike winks at you, and you shift your eyes away. Was it that obvious how starstruck you are? You're trying to cool your jets, but god, yes, you want to see the other Autobots. Maybe they'll touch you too. On the hand, obviously.

“Yeah, that sounds like it'd be fun.” You try to keep the excitement out of your voice, doing your best to sound casual. “I've seen all you Autobots on the news once, it was pretty cool.” What a liar you are. You've been keeping tabs on them pretty much since they made themselves known to the world. 

Bumblebee transforms back into a small car, and opens his passenger door. “What are we waiting for? C'mon, you're gonna love the others!” 

You hesitatingly climb into the passenger seat. He did offer, after all, so he must not mind people sitting inside him like this. Spike takes a seat on the driver's side and the three of you take off. Spike makes some more small talk with you on the drive, with Bumblebee occasionally cutting in. You thought you'd relax more without a giant robot looming over you, but riding inside of said robot doesn't seem to quell your anxiety. Soon enough, you're out in the desert, approaching a volcano. If you recall, it erupted some time ago. Do the Autobots live inside the active volcano? How awful. You should've worn your shorts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's another chapter nobody asked for lmao  
> i might post a few chapters at a time since i do already have a good few pages typed up that im splitting into chapters  
> anyway i hope you like it :3c

Half-expecting Bumblebee to start driving up the side of the volcano, you almost miss the golden-yellow ship at the base of it. For being Earth's government-endorsed alien guardians, you were expecting something cooler. Bumblebee stops at the entrance of the crashed ship, and you and Spike get out. He transforms back to his robot form, and him and Spike start heading in. What, are you supposed to follow? Just walk in with them like it's nothing? You're suddenly feeling very self-conscious; wishing you had worn some better clothes. You'd better keep up with Spike and Bumblebee or else you'll look like a stalker rather than a guest. You run to catch up with them, but keep a small distance behind.

As you walk along the corridor, you're gawking at all the advanced technology. You almost wish you'd brought your camera, but who are you kidding, you're never going to forget this day. It almost seems unreal, like you're gonna wake up any second with your pillow soaked in drool and feeling like how vaporwave sounds. Eventually, you hear voices; other Autobots. Your breathing speeds up, and you clench and unclench your fists. You're trying to psych yourself up to seem cooler than you are. Right as your mind is struggling to come up with a cool introductory one-liner, you don't even notice that Spike and Bumblebee have stopped walking. And you, who walked right past them, crash right into someone's huge metal leg. You yell out in both shock and pain, and and all the Autobots immediately turn toward the source of the noise. If they weren't looking before, they are now. You stumble and fall right on your ass, and look up at whoever you just ran into. It's not Bumblebee, but someone much taller. This robot is blue and red, and his mouth is covered with some kind of faceplate. Oh no. You've seen this guy on TV, and during that one fight a while ago. It's him, uh, Optical Plus? That sounds right.

You've only been here for about 2 minutes and you've made a fool of yourself. If Optometrist Pickle raised his foot right now and stepped on you, killing you immediately, you'd deserve it. Shit, you better apologize before he eats your spine, or whatever it is aliens eat. You scoot yourself away from him and attempt to stand up, but your footing slips and you just fall down again. Some of the other Autobots snicker, and your face burns with embarrassment.

“I'm, uh- I didn't mean to-” You trip over your words and nothing even close to resembling an apology comes out. Taking a deep breath, you open your mouth to speak again, “Sorry...”

There, you said it. You sounded like a scared child, but hey, it's an apology. If you weren't at least 15 miles out in the desert with no sense of direction as to where your house is, you'd run home and hide in your closet forever. Opalescent Prune doesn't seem to mind, however, as he just reaches down and offers you his hand. 

“No need to apologize, human. I take it Spike and Bumblebee brought you here.” Obelisk Pumice's voice is very deep, and it's making you feel something. You aren't quite sure _what_ it's making you feel, but oh boy, you sure are feeling it. You grab onto his giant hand- or rather just his finger, and pull yourself up. You stare up at Omaha Puma almost reverently. Spike's weird teen boy voice pulls you from your subtle eye-fucking.

“Yeah, we sorta know each other! Hah, you should've seen the way they looked at Bumblebee the first time they saw _him_!” Spike says teasingly, slinging an arm around your shoulders. What the fuck. Who gave this kid permission to touch you? Spike turns to you, “This is Optimus Prime, he's the leader of the Autobots. Optimus, this is (Y/N).” So _that's_ his name. Huh. He certainly looks like a leader, definitely the kind of leader you'd love to serve.

“(Y/N), it's an pleasure to meet you.” There goes Optimus again with his deep voice. You're not sure why you like his voice so much, but you're writing it off as anxiety, or some kind of ASMR thing.

“Spike, if you're gonna be bringin' around humans just to stare at us, I hope you're at least charging an entrance fee.” You turn your head toward the voice, a red robot with little horns. The way he's looking at you makes you slightly nervous.

“Ah, shut it, Cliffjumper, just let the human look around, there's no harm in it.” A blue robot punches the red one, apparently named Cliffjumper, on the arm. You think for a moment that you've already overstayed your welcome. You're curious as to how much farther you can get with these guys. You hope that what you're going to say next won't be too badly received. 

“I mean, I think it'd be cool if a bunch of us could go for a drive, you know, show me what you guys can do.” Wow. You actually sounded confident, and maybe a little cool, if you do say so yourself.

Bumblebee speaks up, “Yeah, why not? Why don't we show our new friend a good time?” The way he says “good time” has your mind wander briefly, and you hear several other bots agree. Bumblebee speaks again, “Hey Optimus, you should come with us!”

Optimus, who had been leaning over you slightly, stands straight up. “I appreciate your offer, but I think it'd be best if I stayed here.”

A black and white robot speaks, “Come on, Prime, what could happen? Besides, those Decepti-jerks haven't shown their faces in a while now!”

“Yeah, and even if we do see them, they'll be no match for us if you're around!” A different red robot says, moving closer to the exit to stand by Bumblebee.

You see another human walk out from behind all the bots. How long has he been there? He looks generic, probably related to Spike somehow.

“Don't even worry, Optimus, if we anything suspicious, we'll tell you right away! Go give your axles a workout!” Generic Human No. 2 says.

“I suppose it couldn't hurt. Ratchet, Sparkplug, if you see anything odd, contact me immediately.” Optimus says, referring to Generic Human No. 2, and a white robot with red crosses on his armor. Either that one's a doctor, or some kind of cult leader. You're not sure which one is supposed to be Ratchet and which one is Sparkplug. You decide not to worry about it, and turn around to see several cars speeding out of the exit in their alt-modes. Were there really that many Autobots? You swear that you only saw six when you walked in. This day is seeming more and more like a dream.

Unfortunately, one of the bots you see driving out is Bumblebee, with Spike in the driver's seat. What the fuck. I mean, it's not like you're the whole reason everyone's going out anyway. The only ones still left are Optimus Prime, and some green robot. You want to ask the green one for a ride, but you don't even know his name. It's too late anyway, the green robot turns into a jeep and makes way for the exit. He calls back, “I'll see you there, Prime! Wherever these guys are taking us!” 

“Let me give you a ride, (Y/N).” You hear Optimus Prime say, and it takes you a moment to register that, yes, he's talking to you. He wants to give you a ride? Oh, absolutely. You nod, and Optimus Prime transforms into a red and blue semi, along with a trailer. Where did the trailer come from? Is _he_ the trailer? Like, are those his legs? Is there another robot here who only transforms into a trailer? How sad is that, you think as you climb into the truck cab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god ok lmao i was half-trying to emulate the way they talk in the actual cartoon, yknow kinda 80s and shit  
> which also includes my use of the word "decepti-jerks" yeah i know im a god tier level writer   
> whether or not it worked is up to u but tell me what u think lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> u might ask "is this gonna be one of those slow burn fics" and my answer is "maybe but also probably"

As the two of you drive through the desert, with the other Autobots in the distance ahead of you, your mind struggles to think of something that you could do to break the ice. There is a small sliver of anxiety in your mind. Poor guy, stuck giving the _human_ a ride. These thoughts only serve to make you more nervous. He didn't even want to leave the base, but the others insisted he do so because of what you said. After some more pondering, and coming to the conclusion that everything in the world is your fault, Optimus comes to a stop in front of a small canyon. You exit the truck and look over the edge, it's not too terribly tall, and you can see the other Autobots down there by a small river. If you squint, you can see Spike and Bumblebee. You are suddenly picked up by Optimus. 

“My bad, I should've driven you down there.” He cups you in his hands the same way someone would if they were holding a frog. Then he jumps into the canyon. It was only about a 20 foot jump at the most, but you scream and end up hitting your head. Optimus sets you down, and you crawl out of his palm clutching your head. 

You're down on one knee, rubbing your aching head and feeling for any bumps. You see Optimus Prime's shadow over you, and he's looming over you with his hands out like he wants to pick you up again. 

“Are you hurt? (Y/N), do you want me to take you back to Ratchet, or a human doctor? I'm so sorry.” He says, and you stand up slowly. You hear someone calling your name frantically, and the sound of a car coming closer. It's Bumblebee, in his alt-mode driving toward you. He transforms once close enough, and sounds rather panicked. 

“(Y/N)! Are you okay? What happened to you two? Optimus, were you two attacked by Decepticons?! We need to get them out of here!” Bumblebee cries, attempting to pick you up. You push yourself out of his grip and back away from the two robots.

“I'm fine, I'm fine! I just had a rough landing! I'll put some ice on it when I get home. There's no Decepticons.” You reassure the two, and Bumblebee appears to calm down. It's almost flattering how worried he seemed about you. “Besides, didn't someone say they wanted to show me a good time?” You smirk, and give Bumblebee a little wink. _Yeah, that's good, and uh... probably came out more suggestive than I wanted it to_ , you think to yourself. His mood immediately brightens and he transforms again. 

He speeds off with you in the driver's seat and starts heading towards a flat expanse of land. He starts doing donuts, and you laugh and brace yourself against the seat. For him being such a small car, you aren't really expecting anything mind-blowing, but you're having fun nonetheless.

You see another Autobot approach the two of you, a red one. You hit the brake, and wait for the mysterious car to get closer. You ignore any of Bumblebee's inquiries as why you stopped him.

“Human! If you want to see some _real_ stunts, why don't you come take a ride with me? Ha, no offense, Bumblebee!” The red car laughs, opening his door to you. You consider the offer, wanting to get to know the other Autobots, but Bumblebee snaps at the other. 

“Whatever, Sideswipe! I saw the human first!” Bumblebee sounds annoyed and if you didn't know any better, you'd say he was a little bit jealous. You roll your eyes and get out of the car. 

“Oh, come on, it might be fun. I don't mean to be rude, but he is sort of right. He is a sports car, after all!” You tease lightly, and slide into Sideswipe's passenger seat. You lean out the window to address Bumblebee. “Don't worry, we can hang out later!” You smile at him, and wave as Sideswipe speeds off. 

–

Bumblebee couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy seeing you laughing while in Sideswipe's alt-mode. He really wanted to impress you, and it had seemed to be working before he showed up. Why couldn't Sideswipe let him have this? The look you had given him when he first transformed in front of you was lingering in his mind. You were so awe-struck, like he was the most amazing thing you'd ever seen. And don't think he hadn't noticed how red your face got when he shook your hand. He liked you, of course, but not in the same way he liked Spike or the rest of the Autobots. No, this feeling was different. He couldn't quite place what it was, but he was eager to find out. Maybe he'll ask Spike later. For now, he had to try and get you away from Sideswipe, or any other bots who might earn your favor. He knew that he might not be as impressive as the other Autobots, but he wanted more than anything for you to look at him with that same adoring look in your eyes. 

–

Sideswipe was certainly a lot of fun to ride with, you thought. The two of you were laughing together as he drove you around. At the moment, he's currently engaged in a race with another Autobot named Sunstreaker. They're both neck and neck, and you're yelling words of encouragement from the passenger seat. Sideswipe manages to pull ahead at the last minute and win the race. He slides to a stop, waiting for Sunstreaker to catch up. The yellow sports car transforms and looks down at Sideswipe, arms crossed. He brushes off his shoulders. “Hmph! I could've won if all this dust hadn't been dirtying my rims! I need a waxing...” Sunstreaker saunters off as you and Sideswipe revel in your victory.

“That was amazing, Sideswipe! Oh man, are you gonna race anyone next?” You cheer, giving Sideswipe's dashboard an affectionate pat.

His engines rev a bit, “Aw, you flatter me. That was nothing. Let's go see if Bluestreak or Jazz wants to race.” 

Just as you're driving off in the other direction, you hear a voice from off to the side.

“Hey, I'll race you!”

You turn; it's Bumblebee. What is he doing? Is he trying to show off for you or something? Either way, you're not confident he'll win this race.

“What? Come on Bee, don't embarrass yourself.” Sideswipe replies, not even bothering to face the other.

“I'm serious! Come on Sideswipe, you and me, right now. Or are you scared you'll lose?” Bumblebee taunts, making a show of revving his engines. Sideswipe stops in his tracks, and opens his passenger door. You get out in a rush, slightly concerned that a fight is about to break out. Almost simultaneously, Bumblebee and Sideswipe transform, and stare each other down. 

“Hm. Well, if you insist! We'll race to the waterfall and back. Winner gets bragging rights. I take it you're trying to impress your little human crush. That's cute.” Sideswipe smirks, glancing down at you. You blush and look down. Bumblebee doesn't object to the other bot's comment. 

“You're on.” Bumblebee sticks out his hand and Sideswipe shakes it. They both transform into their alt-modes and line up by each other. Sideswipe calls out to you, “(Y/N)! Come count us off!” 

Okay, that's good, you were worried for a moment that you'd have to choose someone to go with. You stand in front them, like one of those flag girls at a street race. “Okay... uh, on your mark, get set... GO!” As they they take off past you, they kick up a lot of dust, obscuring your view. Once the dust settles, you struggle to see who's in the lead. It's probably Sideswipe, and you almost feel bad for Bumblebee. He really wants to impress you, and now you feel bad for teasing him earlier. They're driving further and further into the distance, and before you know it, you can't see either of them. You sigh, and look to the skies. There's a small group of birds in the distance. Wait, are those birds, or...?

–

Bumblebee is pushing himself to the limit. He's only _barely_ keeping up with Sideswipe, and even then, he is still behind. He knows Sideswipe can go a lot faster than he is right now, and he's just mocking him. The end of the river is coming up, and maybe he could get ahead of him on the way back. Sideswipe slows down a bit, so that he's right next to Bumblebee.

“Come on, do you just want me to let you win? Don't push yourself so hard, you'll run out of energon, and then someone's gonna have to come tow you back. Won't that be embarrassing!” Bumblebee can't tell if he's genuinely concerned or not. 

Just as Bumblebee and Sideswipe approach the end of the river, at the top of the waterfall, the two racing bots turn around quickly. Bumblebee is focusing so hard on trying to get ahead, that he barely notices the sound of explosions and lasers in the distance over his own engine. He stops, and Sideswipe pulls next to him. “What, you run out of energon already? Want me to get you a tow?” He laughs. 

“Sideswipe, shut up! What is _that_?” Bumblebee yells, referring to the commotion in the distance. “I think there's trouble over there!” 

Sideswipe's demeanor turns serious, “Then let's go, we have to help the others!” They both speed off toward the battle. Bumblebee hopes they're not too late, but more than anything, he hopes that you're okay.

–

When you saw the shapes in the sky getting closer, you thought they were just really weird birds, but as they got closer you saw that they were humanoid, and also very large. It wasn't until they landed that you realized that they were Decepticons. There was the big gray guy you saw weeks before, three identical robots with jet wings, and a dark blue robot with a red visor and a faceplate. What's their leader's name again? Megadong? Sure, that works. 

One of the Autobots moves in front of you, and you peer at the Decepticons from behind their leg. Spike appears behind you, moving to grab your arm. “Quick, we gotta get out of here! Where's Bumblebee?” You point off into the distance, and Spike frowns. “What's he doing out there? Come on, we need to stay back. Maybe we can get Ironhide to help us.” He pulls on your arm, and as you're being led away, you hear Optimus Prime and Megamilk trash-talking each other. You're not really paying any attention to what they're saying, but out of nowhere you hear Megaman yell out, “Soundwave, deploy Laserbeak and Ravage, and grab the humans!” You see the dark blue robot open up his chest plate, and two cassettes fly out, one is a red bird-looking thing, and the other appears to be some kind of panther. They're heading right for you and Spike. You yank your arm out of Spike's grip, and run in the other direction, hoping that they'll take him first. Or uh, if you split up, it'll be harder for them to catch you. Yeah, that's what you're doing.

You look back whilst running to see that the red bird (Laserbeak?) has Spike in his talons, and some of the other Autobots trying to jump up and get him. You see Ravage sprinting in your direction and you push yourself to run faster. You hear someone calling after you, and you see Bumblebee and Sideswipe have returned. Sideswipe is currently tackling one of those jet-winged Decepticons, and Bumblebee is running toward you. You try to run to him, but your slight decrease in speed allows for Ravage to pounce on you. He's got the back of your shirt in his teeth, and he's dragging you away. You cry out for Bumblebee to help you, but he's too far away. You are brought back to the robot presumably called Soundwave, and he picks you up, holding you and Spike in one hand. Laserbeak and Ravage fly back into Soundwave's chest. Spike is calling for help, and trying to loosen Soundwave's grip. 

Optimus Prime yells out, “Megatron, let the humans go! They have no part in this! Autobots, hold your fire, we can't risk hitting the humans.” That's his name? Megatron? Sounds like the name a five year old would give themselves in a game of pretend. 

The Decepticon leader scoffs, “Pathetic, Prime, you would rather your own enemy get away, than risk hurting one of these insignificant creatures? You are _weak_. Decepticons, fall back!” And with that, Megatron flies away, followed by the three jet robots, Soundwave, and most importantly, you and Spike, still in Soundwave's fist. Spike screams for help, and you scream from being so high in the air. You don't even care about getting away right now, you just hope that Soundwave doesn't drop you on the way to... wherever you're going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spicy drama am i right kids?? anyway i hope u all like it, all 4 of u, god lmao i still get so excited whenever someone gives me a kudos like damn!! i love yall!!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter lmao  
> its like 12:30 am but hey i felt like updating  
> u might wonder "how do they manage to upload a new chapter so often??"  
> the answer is i have a lot of free time in college, and nobody ever hangs out w me/i like to stay up late

Once the Autobots return to their base, they are frantic in trying to think of ways to rescue their humans. Sparkplug is pacing back and forth, worried for his son. Bumblebee isn't doing too good either. If he hadn't challenged Sideswipe to a race, he would've been able to save you when the Decepticons had shown up. Nobody can come up with any ideas as to why Megatron would want to kidnap humans. The best thing any of them can come up with is mind control. The Decepticons know that if they use mind control on the humans, the Autobots can't, and won't hurt them. 

“Come on, Prime, I say we just storm the Decepticon base and blow em' all away!” Ironhide exclaims, to which Optimus Prime just shakes his head. 

“They're bound to see us coming, and it'd only give them a reason to hurt Spike and (Y/N).” He explains. “We need to think of a strategy.”

“Maybe we could distract the Decepticons, and one of us could get into their base and sneak them out?” Wheeljack points out. 

Optimus considers the idea, “That sounds like it could work, but which one of us is going in?”

Bumblebee speaks up, “I'll do it. I have a better chance of getting in and out because I'm smaller.” 

“Are you up for the task, Bumblebee? I'm sure we can distract the Decepticons long enough to give you enough time to get in and out.” Optimus says, and Bumblebee nods.

“Spike and (Y/N) are my friends. I'll do anything to get them back.” Bumblebee states confidently. Behind him, Sideswipe elbows Sunstreaker and whispers something to him, something about Bumblebee wanting a certain someone to be _more_ than friends with him. They both laugh quietly.

“Then that settles it. Autobots, roll out!” Optimus calls out, transforming and leading the group out. Bumblebee is right behind him; his spark burning with determination, to rescue you, and to hopefully earn your admiration. Oh, and rescue Spike too.

–

Well, this certainly isn't how you thought you'd spend your day. When the Decepticons had returned to their underwater base with you and Spike in tow, they'd placed you in a electric cage. At the moment, Spike is trying to see if the cage has any gaps big enough for the two of you to try and squeeze out, and has only been zapped twice on the bars. Somehow he's not dead, and you wished you'd been that resilient when you were 14. You're just sitting on the floor, staring at your captors. At one point, you'd caught Soundwave's eye and you stuck your tongue out at him. He ignored you, and that just made you feel a little worse. Soon enough, Megatron comes back, followed by the three jet-bots. 

“Megatron! You'll never get away with this! The Autobots will rescue us in no time!” Spike yells from behind you. Really, what are the Decepticons going to do to you? Eat you, or rip out your bones? Use their alien machinery to turn you into mindless slaves? Turn you into giant robots and make you into Decepticons? Well, that last one sounds kinda cool, and if you weren't so attached to your material possessions here on Earth, you'd almost consider it.

You stare at the jet-robots standing nearest to the wall. While Spike is yelling about Optimus Prime, you're trying to get those jet boys to notice you. Finally, the one in the middle with the blue and red armor does. He glares at you like one would if they saw a cockroach. You try sticking your tongue out at _him_ and his expression goes from apathetic to offended.

He pushes past Megatron and aims the rifle attached to his arm at you. “Pathetic creature! I will show you what happens when you disrespect _me_!” 

“Starscream, no!” Megatron pushes his arm away as his rifle fires off, the blast creates a hole in the wall, which water starts pouring out of. Isn't that quaint? Now you're gonna get your shoes all wet. Megatron yells in anger, and pushes Starscream onto his back. He starts yelling at him, but you don't register what he's saying because you're too worried about getting wet. Of course, there's nothing worse than walking around in soggy clothes, not even the threat of death from giant alien robots. The cage around you is deactivated, and by the time it occurs to you that you should try and run away, you're picked up by Soundwave.

Spike is yelling for help again, like damn, he needs to chill. If they were going to kill you, they would've done it by now. Also, you doubt the Autobots can hear Spike screaming from the bottom of the ocean. Soundwave takes the two of you into another room, still holding you tightly in each of his hands. Megatron follows behind him, along with Starscream and his clone-brothers. The door behind them closes, sealing off the still-flooding room. 

For being the oh-so-tyrannical ruler he seemed to be, you're surprised Megatron didn't kill Starscream on the spot. He approaches Soundwave, turning his attention to you and Spike.

“The Autobots should be coming soon, and when they do, I'll give Prime a choice. Either he leaves the planet to us, or the last thing you little vermin will see is the bottom of my pede!” He says threateningly, ending his sentence with a dark chuckle. What the hell is a pede? Like a centipede? God, all those legs...

“Megatron, your plan is flawed, just as they always are! What makes you think Optimus Prime would give up the Earth for two measly humans?” Starscream interjects. This guy just doesn't know when to quit; he already ruined one of the rooms of the base, and now he's straight up telling his boss his plan sucks. You're mentally preparing yourself for the sight of Starscream's robo-corpse hitting the ground. 

“Wrong again, Starscream! I know for a fact that Prime is far too noble and defensive of these humans to ever allow them to come to harm. The Earth and its resources will be ours before we know it!”

Spike yells out, “You'll never have the Earth! (Y/N) and I would sacrifice ourselves if it meant saving it!” 

Excuse me, like what the fuck? You turn to Spike and give him a look of pure bewilderment. He doesn't seem to notice and continues glaring at Megatron defiantly. Spike can sacrifice himself if he wants to, but you don't plan on dying any time soon.

“We'll see about that,” Megatron turns away from Spike and addresses the rest of the Decepticons. “When the Autobots arrive, we'll be waiting for them! Starscream, as a result of your utter foolishness and insubordination, _you_ will stay here and watch over the humans.” 

Starscream sputters in anger and disbelief, “Wh-! You can't do that Megatron! You need me! I refuse to be left alone _babysitting_ the humans!”

Starscream's sounds of frustration increase as Soundwave shoves both you and Spike into his hands. Starscream grips you both tightly in one hand, making no attempt to be gentle and causing you much discomfort.

Megatron pauses, “Hmm. You make an excellent point- Soundwave!” He motions towards the dark blue bot, who opens up his chest cavity and releases two cassettes, one purple and the other black. They transform into smaller robots, like way smaller than Bumblebee or any other robot you've seen. 

“Rumble, Frenzy; stay here with Starscream.” Megatron commands, “Soundwave, Thundercracker, Skywarp, you all come with me!” 

As Megatron and the rest of the Decepticons turn to leave, Starscream is yelling at his leader's retreating form. The distant sound of Megatron's evil laughter only causes Starscream to clench his fists, including the one he's holding you in. You and Spike groan in pain, and wriggle in his grasp.

“Pathetic.” Starscream mutters, and leans down to toss Spike on the ground. He hits the floor like a ragdoll, causing you to wince slightly. As for you, Starscream holds the back of your shirt and dangles you in front of his face. “If only I had been able to destroy you when I had the chance!” Damn. You guess he's still pissed about that tongue thing.

“I'm-I'm sorry!” You wheeze out, still in pain from being handled so roughly. “I won't do it again, I promise! Oh my god, please don't hurt me.” 

“Oh? You're begging for mercy, are you? Hmph. I can appreciate a human who knows when to cower in fear.” Starscream smirks at you. “I may not be a god, but I appreciate the comparison.”

A voice calls from below you, “Hey Starscream, stop hoggin' the human!” You glance down and see Rumble and Frenzy staring up at you. One of them is holding Spike in a headlock. Those two look like they don't play gentle. You turn back to Starscream and shake your head frantically. You'll cower and beg as much as he wants, just as long as he doesn't let those two down there tear you apart. Starscream pays no attention to your fearful writhing, and leans over to dump you unceremoniously on the ground. 

“Hey, Rumble, check out this human! Less geeky lookin' than that one.” The black one says as he stands over you. He roughly grips your arm and pulls you up. They're not too tall, at least not by giant robot standards. Rumble releases Spike from his headlock and joins his brother at your side. They're both poking at you; at your face, your hair, and wherever else they can get at. You try and yank your arms out of their grip, but they're too strong. God, when, or _if_ you make it home, you're gonna have a shitload of bruises. Perhaps you should visit the doctor as well, see how many of your bones are broken. 

“Spike, get up, help me out here!” You call back, as Spike struggles to come to his knees. What is he doing? Not helping you, that's what. At that moment, the realization that Spike is still only 14 hits you. You're the adult here, and you're the one who should probably be protecting _him_. Aw hell, being an adult is lame, but for the sake of this kid, who got you into this situation to begin with, you're just going to endure. 

_Do it for the children_ , you think to yourself as Rumble and Frenzy pull you back and forth, arguing over whose turn it is with the “cool” human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise ill get to some romantic shit soon  
> after this chapter, there'll be a final long chapter wrapping up the """prologue""" and then we can get to the good shit lmao  
> that is, if you havent given up on me by then lol  
> anyway, love yall


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooh i hope yall like this one bc im a bit iffy

The Autobots approach the ocean; their plan being to lure the Decepticons out, so Bumblebee would be able to rescue the humans easily in the empty base. To their fortune, they were already waiting for them, hovering over the ocean. Optimus Prime transforms, and takes a few steps onto the shore, the water lapping at his feet.

“Megatron! Return the humans to us, unharmed! Or we'll have to take them from you!” He shouts into the sky. The remaining Autobots stand closely behind, weapons at the ready.

“Oh, how I'd love to see you try! The only way you'll be getting the humans back is in pieces! You have one choice, Prime, either leave this planet, or say goodbye to the humans!” Megatron retorts, smirking down at the other. Optimus visibly stiffens, the grip on his rifle tightening. If he can distract Megatron for just a little bit longer, without any violence...

Optimus looks off to the side, where Bumblebee is awaiting his signal to attempt to sneak into the Decepticons' base. They lock eyes, and exchange a knowing look. Bumblebee retreats behind a large rock, and into some nearby foliage. The Decepticons are still focused on the others, fortunately. Optimus and Megatron exchange a few more heated words, but Bumblebee isn't paying attention. He wades into the water, and soon dives under.

–

Your prior concerns were right; Rumble and Frenzy like it rough. Once they started arguing over you, they tackled each other and started rolling on the ground whilst beating on each other. After nursing your sore arms for a moment, you run to check on Spike.

“Hey, kid, are you alright?” You say quietly, helping Spike to his feet. 

“Yeah, don't worry about it. The Autobots are coming for us, it's gonna be alright!” Spike replies, with a hint a weariness in his voice. Your moment of rest is soon interrupted by a sudden yank to your arm. 

“What do you think you're doin'? Come on, the fun's just starting!” Rumble drags you away, and Frenzy quickly approaches Spike, forcing him down on his hands and knees. Wait, what is he doing? Rumble kneels down next to him, and moves you over to the other side. Oh my god, they're using him as a table. 

Rumble sets down his elbow none-too-gently on Spike's back. “Hey human, wanna arm wrestle?” 

Literally, what the fuck. First of all, you know you're not gonna win, and he knows this. You're not too sure what'll happen if you decline, so you hover your arm over Spike's back, and take hold of Rumble's hand. The robot scoffs at you, and pushes your elbow down. This whole situation is so fucked, and you wonder if Spike's parents know where he is right now. 

“Give me your best shot,” Rumble says, and before you even have time to prepare, he grips your hand tightly, and slams it down. “Ha! You lose!”

You glance down at Spike; if he's in pain, he's good at hiding it. Rumble sets up your hands again, and once again, before you're ready, he slams it down, causing Spike's arms to buck slightly. 

Frenzy comes up behind his brother, “Hey, let me have a turn!”, he pushes his brother out of the way, and sits down across from you. When you grab his hand, he begins to count off, “One, two, three!”

At least you had time to prepare, and you push against Frenzy's hand as hard as you can. Like his brother, he defeats you easily. When you go again, you almost beat him, but he wins a second time. He was just trying to get your hopes up that time, you think. You nearly forgot for a moment that the surface you're playing on is an _actual person_.

“N-No, I'm not playing again, it's stupid.” You retract your hands, and try to pull Spike to a kneeling position. “You guys are too small to beat anyone else around here, so you pick on us.” 

“Pfft, you're just being a baby 'cause you keep losing. Come on, don't be a sore loser.” Frenzy taunted, to which Rumble cuts in, “Hey, it's my turn with the human now!”

And of course, the twins start fighting with each other again, pushing turns to kicking, which turns to more wrestling on the floor. You stand up and stare at the two with disdain.

“Oh, the two of you are such _brats_! If you wanted to hold my hand so badly, you could've asked! I have one for both of you!” You call out, your patience starting to come to an end. Rumble and Frenzy freeze in their tracks, staring at you somewhat wide-eyed. They start sputtering at you; there's no way they'd ever wanna hold hands with a _human_. No matter how well your hand fit into theirs, or how soft your hand was. Huh?

You turn away from the flustered twins and return to Spike's side. Even though you vowed to try and take all the heavy blows so he wouldn't get hurt, he really does look worse for wear. What if Starscream was right? What if Optimus decided to sacrifice you and Spike to save the entire planet? Even though you've only just met him, you hope with all your being that's not the case. Also, speaking of Starscream, where'd he go...?

–

Bumblebee never fancied himself much of a swimmer, seeing as how much harder it is to move underwater, but in this case, he'll make an exception. Approaching the Decepticon base, he wonders how he's gonna get in. He isn't sure if there's any sensors around the outside, so he tries to keep low to the ocean surface while moving slowly. Bumblebee is this close to blasting a hole through the wall, when he notices that someone already _did_. Looks like someone got a bit trigger-happy, he muses, pulling back the edges of the hole to allow for him to fit inside. 

Bumblebee swims around the flooded room, approaching a door. He isn't sure if you and/or Spike are in there, but hey, kill two birds with one stone; rescue the humans _and_ flood the Decepticons' base. He fumbles around for the switch for the door, when he does find it, he is disappointed to find it no longer works. The water must've shorted out the circuit. Well, the only other choice he has now is to try and open the door manually. Bumblebee doesn't hesitate to start his attempts at prying the door open.

–

After your comment about Rumble and Frenzy wanting to hold your hands, you were relieved to find they decided to leave you and Spike alone for the time being. While the two of you rest by the wall, your captors are pacing around on the other side of the room. You hear them making comments about how much they wish they were on the surface, kicking some Autobot tailpipe. If the Decepticons lose, they'll surely return to their base. Then they'll be here again, and who knows what they might do to you. You tire of watching Rumble and Frenzy talk to each other, and you don't really know what to say to Spike in this situation, so you try to take in the scenery. Which is to say, you stare at the wall and try counting all the bolts in the wall. You're at 106 when you notice something seeping across the floor. It's water, and it seems to be coming out of a gap in the door at an alarming rate.

You and Spike jump to your feet, Rumble and Frenzy take notice and start heading over to restrain you two in the event that the door bursts open. They're about halfway to you when the door gives, sending a torrent of water in. You start wading through the water trying to make your way to the busted door. It's at that moment you see that the door didn't burst through the sheer pressure of the water, but because someone _tore_ it open. It's Bumblebee! He's just as overjoyed to see you as you are to see him. There's no time to celebrate, however, since you're still in a flooding room with two Decepticons. 

“Hey Frenzy, let's shake things up!” Rumble calls out of the sound of rushing water, to which his brother nods. Their hands transform into piledrivers, and they start shaking the ground. The water sloshes around you, making it even more diffcult to move, and splashing you with large waves. The water is coming in quickly, almost waist-high, and you're not confident in your swimming skills. 

“Spike, come on, we have to go!” Bumblebee calls out, pulling you into his arms. Spike is trying to move toward you, but Frenzy stops his ground-shaking to grab at him. He's got a hold of Spike's arm and tries to drag him under the rising water. 

“Bumblebee, let me go! Spike!” You cry out, sliding back into the water and swimming toward the pair. Spike is struggling against Frenzy's grip. You beat your fists against Frenzy's chassis, but to no avail. It does seem to be annoying him, however, and he pushes you back. You scowl at him, rear your fist back, and punch the Decepticon as hard as you can. It must've caught him off guard, as he yells out and loosens his grip on Spike enough for him to pull away. You ignore the pain in your hand, and try swim away from the incoming Frenzy. The water is still only above Bumblebee's waist, and he takes you and Spike into his arms. 

“Let's get out of here!” Bumblebee shouts, “Hang on tight!” And he dives into the other room, kicking his way to the hole in the wall. Spike notices that he's having trouble holding onto both of you _and_ keeping ahead of Rumble and Frenzy. Spike pulls himself out of Bumblebee's grip to swim on his own. You attempt to do the same, but the Autobot refuses to let you go. Instead, you wrap your arms around his neck, and your legs around his chest. Bumblebee manages to swim faster to the surface with you clinging to him. The surface is only feet away, but you don't think you can hold your breath for much longer. You're on the verge of blacking out when you finally breach the surface. You gasp for breath and un-latch yourself from Bumblebee, coughing up water. He takes you into his arms again, and paddles to the shore. 

–

Optimus was starting to get impatient, and a little bit nervous. For the time being, he'd just been going back and forth with Megatron. He didn't think he could hold off a battle any longer, but he needed to make sure Spike and (Y/N) were safe. The Decepticons had stopped hovering over the open water, and were mere feet away from the Autobots. _Just a bit longer_ , Optimus told himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bumblebee emerge from behind a large rock. He was dripping wet, and gave Optimus a subtle nod. He'd done it, the humans were safe. Optimus straightened up, and stared Megatron straight in the eye. 

“Megatron, you leave me no choice, as much as it pains me, I can't risk the safety of the Earth for the humans. I will always remember their sacrifice.” Optimus states boldly, hoping Megatron wouldn't catch on to what had happened. “If it's a fight you want, a fight you'll get.”

Megatron sneered, “Oh, you think I'm bluffing, don't you? Well, say goodbye to your precious humans!” He presses on his commlink. “Starscream, come in! Exterminate the humans!”

Optimus Prime feigned shock, but there was no reply from Starscream. Megatron paused, “Starscream, answer me! Kill the humans! Starscream, where are you?!”

A voice rang out, “I'm right here, my _great_ leader!” Starscream was standing out further in the water, his voice dripping with malice and sarcasm. “Just as I thought, your plan failed _again_! I'll show you how it's done!” He finishes with a blast from his gun, grazing the side of Optimus's helm. 

Starscream takes off, and Megatron yells in anger. “Starscream, you idiot, you've ruined _everything_! Decepticons, AFTER HIM!” 

The Decepticons fly after Starscream, with the sound of Megatron yelling threats growing more distant. The Autobots cheer in victory, and Optimus sighs contentedly. Aside from the damage to his helm, everything worked out in the end. He made a mental note to congratulate Bumblebee later. 

–

As soon as Bumblebee had taken you ashore, he'd set you behind a rock along with Spike. God, everything hurt, you were soaking and a bit lightheaded. You just wanted to rest... just rest your eyes for a second.

Just for a second, right? When you wake up, you're no longer outside on the shore. You're on a cot and your vision is slightly blurry. When it clears up, you see you're back in the Autobot base. You sit up slowly, your body aching. You assess the damage done to your body; as you expected, you've got a fair amount of bruises on your arms from Rumble and Frenzy. Your head throbs in pain, and it doesn't really help that your clothes are still damp. You've got bandages wrapped around your hand, and you stare at them for a moment. Oh yeah, that's right, you punched Frenzy. You look over, and the other Autobots are all on the other side of the base. They all look pretty happy, especially Bumblebee, who seems to be the target of several compliments and praises. You see Spike too, with an icepack on his shoulders. What, did they forget about you? At least they had the decency to get you this cot.

You stand up, wincing in pain, and limp your way over to the others. They don't seem to notice you, and you clear your throat loudly.

“So uh, was anyone gonna wake me up for this little party?” You say with as much cheeriness as you can muster, leaning against the nearest Autobot's legs. 

“(Y/N)!” Spike cheers, and throws himself against you in a hug. You groan loudly in pain, and he immediately pulls away. “Sorry...” He says, smiling. “I'm just glad you're okay!” 

“Yeah, me too...” You say, rubbing your sore arms. You glance up and lock eyes with Bumblebee. You smile at him, moving closer.

“You saved me. You don't know how much I appreciate it.” You say softly, and Bumblebee kneels in front of you.

“It's no big deal! I'm just glad you were okay! Uh, you and Spike!” He says, quickly adding the last part about Spike. As gently as he can, he rests his arm on your shoulder. “Do you want me to take you home?”

“Not yet, where's Optimus?” You ask, and Bumblebee points to the doorway.

“I think Ratchet's still working on him.” He replies, and your eyes widen slightly. Did he get hurt? You suddenly feel a wave of guilt, and start limping toward the doorway. “Give me a second, Bee, I just wanna talk to him real quick.”

You look through the various doorways, and see finally see Optimus and Dr. Cult Leader, whatever his name is. You knock on the wall, catching their attention.

Optimus was laying back on a table, but sits up when he sees you. “(Y/N). You're awake; shouldn't you be resting?” 

You shake your head, “I just wanted to talk to you real quick. I-I mean, if you're not busy.”

“It's alright. Ratchet, give us a moment, if you would.” Optimus says to the doctor, who snorts in reply. 

“Well, make it quick, I'm not done yet.” Ratchet walks past you, and you almost feel bad for interrupting him. You take a deep breath and approach Optimus. He leans down to offer you his hands, which you crawl into. That wasn't really nescessary, but at least you can talk to him easier. Optimus holds you up, and you notice it; he's not wearing his faceplate, and you can see his mouth now. He looks nice; he should take off his faceplate more often.

“Oh, I just wanted to say- er, did you get hurt?” You point to the side of his helm, still bearing slight signs of damage. Optimus just chuckles quietly.

“It's nothing that can't be fixed. The important thing is that you and Spike are saved, and the Decepticons are dealt with, for now.” 

You start up again, “It was my fault you got hurt though, all of this was my fault. Didn't you see Spike? He's just a kid and he's all bruised up, and-” Optimus shushes you.

“It's not your fault you were captured, or that the Decepticons wanted to use you and Spike as bargaining tools. Don't blame yourself for any of this.” He says calmly. It doesn't make you feel any better.

You raise your voice, “No! If I hadn't came around, none of this would've happened! I mean, you're the leader and everything, and you got hurt! Because of me!” 

At that moment, it seems like everything comes crashing down. It started with Bumblebee and Sideswipe getting in each other's faces, then you getting kidnapped, and having Rumble and Frenzy pull you around like a toy. It got worse with seeing Spike getting beat around, and now with Optimus Prime getting hurt, it's just too much. You must've spaced out, because you hear Optimus calling your name, and that's what does it. You break down sobbing. It's been such a stressful day, and you just want to go home. You're knelt down in Optimus Prime's palms, wailing like a child.

Your face is all red, you're sniffling, and tears are running down your face and dripping onto your shirt. Optimus freezes; he certainly wasn't expecting this. And yet, he understands why you're reacting like this. Your hands cover your face, barely muffling your sobs. You suddenly feel a pressure on your back. Optimus is trying to rub your back with two of his fingers. His touches are very light, and the feeling makes you shudder. You look up, staring into Optimus's eyes with your teary ones. The tears are still flowing freely, but at least your sobs have quieted to hiccups.

“A-All I wanted to do was tell you I was s-sorry...” You stutter out, and instead of trying tell you once again, that it wasn't your fault, Optimus just nods.

“I forgive you.” He brings you closer to his face, pressing his forehead against you. Leaning against him, you press your hand to the corner of his mouth. It's nice, but you'd feel even better if you could go home and go to sleep for the next two days.

You speak up, wishing you didn't have to ruin the moment, “Do you think, when Ratchet's done, you could take me home? I, uh, don't want the others to see me like this.”

“It's nothing serious, come on, I can take you now.” Optimus stands up, and walks out with you. You don't want the other Autobots to see you like this either. You're never gonna be able to look any of these guys in the face ever again. Well, it's not like you were able to in the first place; they're too tall. You lay down against his fingers, and hope that the other Autobots just assume you're sleeping. Wait, didn't Bumblebee want to give you a ride home? Fuck, you keep blowing him off, and not even in the good way. He saved your life and this is how you repay him. You feel even worse, seeing as how much Bumblebee seems to like you. Okay, as soon as you're able to breathe without doubling over in pain, you'll definitely try and spend some real time with him. No riding in sports cars, and no having any oddly intimate moments with other robots. You hear the voices of the other Autobots and close your eyes, commencing with your fake-sleep plan.

“Excuse me, I'm just going to take (Y/N) home. We'll finish later, Ratchet.” Optimus says, continuing his walk to the exit. As you lay in falsified slumber, you're just pretending Bumblebee didn't even care about Optimus giving you a ride home. There's no way he likes you _that_ much. And yet, you consider how jealous he seemed when you rode off with Sideswipe, and how relieved he was when he rescued you from the Decepticons. Your train of thought is derailed when Optimus Prime sets you on the ground, and transforms into his alt-mode.

Just what you needed, another _Awkward Ride With Optimus Prime™_ , it's even more awkward considering how you burst into tears in front of him. First he was roped into giving you a ride, which led to several things leading up to you getting you kidnapped, and then he was forced to awkwardly comfort you. Just for the sake of preserving your image and dignity, you make a vow to never end up in this situation again. This whole day has just another one of those “god why did I do that” moments that'll keep you awake at night.

It must be really awkward for your neighbors to see a semi rolling down the street and stopping in front of your house. You're in too much pain to care, and step out like it's nothing. You pause, and give Optimus's hood a pat. 

“Thank you. This was, uh, fun? Intense might be a better word. I don't know if I wanna go through all that ever again, but I'll come back around just to visit.” You say, not too loudly, so you don't look like a maniac talking to a car. You hear something muffled from inside the truck cab, and just assume Optimus is saying a goodbye too. Okay, maybe you should've said your goodbyes in there. Just add that to the list of the screw-ups you've made today.

You speed-walk to your front door, and Optimus is still there. Maybe he's just waiting for you to get inside? Where did your keys go- oh goddamn it, they probably ended up underwater. Maybe Ravage ate them when he pounced you. You're not an entire fool, though, and produce a spare key from a potted plant. You quickly unlock the door and give Optimus a final wave before closing the door. You don't even wait to watch him leave and go straight to your bedroom. You take off everything except your underwear and flop onto the bed. Finally, you can get the rest you deserve...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im at like 10k words and nothings happened omg lmaoo  
> regardless, i hope u like it and i love u all


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD this chapter is rly long  
> sometimes i wonder to myself "oh god maybe i should take a step back and not write like 30 million pages" but then i realize its my fic and im givin the ppl what the want (at least i hope i am) lmao

You have dreams; not all of them entirely pleasant. When you got into bed, you pretty much fell asleep the moment your head hit the pillow. And for the next few hours you fall into a cycle of waking up, re-positioning, and falling back into a dream-filled sleep. Of course, considering the ordeal you just went through, a drowning dream is inevitable. And then a dream about Starscream forcing you to bow to him, with the bodies of the Autobots scattered around you. They're not all bad, though, as you also have a dream about going on a picnic with Rumble and Frenzy, who end up fighting over you and making some local children cry. That dream ends with the three of you walking down the street whilst holding hands. The dream you're currently in takes place downtown, except there's nobody else around but you, the air is thick with fog. As you walk down the sidewalk, you feel uneased by the sight of empty buildings and dim streetlights. You see a shape in the distance; it's Bumblebee! You call out to him, but he doesn't reply. He's just standing there, and you run to him and place your hand on his arm. He jerks away from you, and starts walking into the mist, not even bothering to look at you. You start yelling; not because you're scared of what's in the fog, but because you don't want him to leave you. Bumblebee's form fully disappears into the mist, and you jerk awake.

Well, that certainly didn't make you feel good. You should probably get up now instead of trying to sleep your life away. Wait, what time is it? For all you know, the world could've ended while you were out. You check your clock, and it's only noon. Optimus Prime dropped you off at about 6 PM yesterday, or however many days ago, and you've been asleep for uh... 18 hours. Not bad, and you managed to wake up just in time for lunch. You slowly sit up in bed, stretching your arms. Bruises are still there, but it's nothing you can't handle. Having your hand bandaged is probably going to be an issue, though. You make your way to the bathroom and turn on the lights, wincing at the brightness. You squint at yourself in the mirror. You force yourself into the shower, and let the hot water soothe your aching muscles.

After freshening up, you sit on your bed in clean clothes. You feel a little bit better now, but still have some distress lingering in your mind. You really should go try and talk to Bumblebee, but you just remembered you have no way to contact him. Maybe if you go on another walk, you'll run into him again. You wander out to your living room and switch on the TV, deciding it's better to lose yourself in that. Try as you might, you can't shake your thoughts. You space off whilst staring at a small section of the floor, and didn't even realize you were watching static in a mostly-dark room until you heard a knock at your door. Since when do you ever have guests? God, you can't let anyone see you like this. You turn on the lights, and frantically switch between TV channels for something “normal” as the knocking resumes. You eventually just shut your TV off and race to the door. It's probably just some kid playing a prank on you. 

You open the door, or well, throwing it open would be a much more appropriate word for your actions. The door opens to the sight of Spike, walking away from your porch, apparently thinking you weren't home. Your heart jumps when you set your eyes on Bumblebee parked by the sidewalk. Can he see you like that? This might be your only chance, so you yell out. 

“Hey! Spike, wait up!” You run out after him as he turns to face you.

“(Y/N)! We just wanted to see how you were doing!” He says, “Let me see your hand!” 

You hold up your re-bandaged hand and Spike laughs, “Oh man, that was so cool how you punched Frenzy like that! All the Autobots were talking about it!”

Your face flushes, “Oh, heh, y'know... it was in the heat of the moment...”

“You really saved me back there! Anyway, I just came by to ask if you wanted to hang out with Bumblebee and I.” Spike says, “I promise this time there won't be any Decepticons.”

It's like someone read your mind, but you're hesitant to accept. You don't really know why, but you have a slight feeling of uncertainty. It might have something to do with being around Bumblebee again.

You pause, “Uhh... you know what? Sure, I'm down. Let me lock my door.” 

You walk back to your house, taking your sweet time grabbing your shoes and locking your front door. _It's not too late for to back out_ , you tell yourself. You keep telling yourself that up until you're seated inside Bumblebee's alt-mode. As you're riding down the street, you regret accepting Spike's offer. Well, too late now. You're gonna have a good time whether you like it or not.

So far, all you've been doing with Spike and Bumblebee is just cruising around. You half-heartedly contribute to any conversations, but more than anything, you'd just like a moment alone with Bumblebee. You feel like you need to apologize, or at least try and show you some appreciation. He literally _saved your life_. What are you supposed to do for him? Has he, as an Autobot, gotten so used to saving people that he doesn't even care about being thanked for it? Well, if you insist on hanging out with him anymore, you'd better do _something_. You have an idea, involving the convenience store down the road. 

“Hey Spike, maybe we could stop for some snacks, y'know? I didn't bring any money but I'll pay you back if you want.” You suggest, “Also, do you think you could go in for me? Sorry, I'm still in some pain, but you don't have to if you don't want to.”

“Oh no, (Y/N), don't worry about it! I got you covered.” Spike pulls into the parking lot of the store, or, really, Bumblebee does. You don't think Spike can drive, but then again he hangs out with giant robots all the damn time, so who knows what he can do.

“Well, aren't you nice! Get me some juice, won't you?” You smile, both at Spike's generosity, and the pieces of your plan falling into place. Spike exits the car, and walks toward the store. It worked; you're alone with Bumblebee! Now what?

You didn't even think that far ahead. Shit, shit, think of something! You might not get another shot at this!

“(Y/N), I'm glad to see you're doing okay!” Bumblebee breaks the silence and pulls you out of your thoughts. 

“Ah... well, it's all thanks to you.” You laugh nervously, “Say, Bumblebee, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me tonight?”

Bumblebee pauses for a second, “Is Spike coming along?”

“...Do you want him to?”

“I... How does 9 o'clock sound?”

“It's a date.” You say, and immediately regret it, “I mean, uh- yeah, that sounds good.”

That _almost_ went smoothly, but it's of course, since it's you doing all the talking, it didn't. There's no time to dwell on your slip-up, though, as Spike returns, handing you a bottle of juice. You tap your fingers on the bottle, and mumble back a “thank you”. If you thought spending 3 whole minutes alone with Bumblebee was awkward, how are you going to manage being alone with him tonight for who-knows-how-long?? Also, why did Bumblebee pick such a late time?

Spike said something to you, and your only acknowledgment in response is “uh-huh” as you stare at the label of the bottle like it's the most interesting thing ever. You didn't even hear what he said. The only thing on your mind at that moment is that you've got a date with Bumblebee. No, it's not a date, goddamn it, because there's no way Bumblebee would ever want to date an alien. You're not even interested in him like that, right? And besides, why would a race of giant alien robots want to date beings about three times smaller than themselves? Well, you suppose Rumble and Frenzy would be the exceptions, but those guys are _weird_. Fuck, okay, why are you thinking about those two right now? You twist off the lid to your juice and take a long drink. New day, new regrets.

You're pretty sure Spike asked you something about the other Autobots earlier, because now you're out in the desert again, most likely on your way to their base right now. How are you supposed to face Optimus Prime again, especially after yesterday? All the others are probably gonna bring up the events from that day, because you just can't wait to revisit your near-death experience.

Once at the base, you wonder if you could lie again and say you're not feeling well, so Bumblebee could take you home. Spike exits the car, and starts walking toward the entrance of the base.

You slide over into the driver's seat. “Hey Bee, do you think you could take me home? Sorry, I'm still kind of tired.” 

“You sure? We just got here, after all.” Bumblebee says, almost sounding disappointed. “Should we call Spike back over?” 

“Let's just go, I'm sure Spike won't mind if you're gone for a little bit.” You say, with a bit of urgency in your voice.

Bumblebee seems to sense this, and drives away without a word.

–

When you had left with Optimus Prime the other day, Bumblebee had started thinking that you didn't like him that much. He didn't really feel entitled to anything from you when he'd saved you and Spike. He was just happy you were okay. You were in pretty rough shape when he came back and found you passed out next to Spike. He couldn't even imagine what Rumble and Frenzy had done; but that's all in the past.

When Spike suggested that they go see how you were doing, he couldn't have transformed and rolled out faster. Not to mention the way his spark pulsed when you agreed to go on a drive with them, and when you asked him to hang out later that night, even calling it a “date”. Well, you did kind of backtrack on that part, but he wouldn't mind taking you on a date. You know, as friends. Maybe you weren't really tired at all, and you just didn't want to have do deal with the other Autobots bringing up yesterday's events. That's okay though, he doesn't mind being alone with you.

You're mostly silent on the drive back to town. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to get you out and about so soon after your ordeal. Soon enough, Bumblebee is parked in front of your house. You get out and put your hand on his roof, tapping your fingers a bit. 

“I'll see you tonight. I promise I'll be more energetic after I get some more sleep.” You say, turning to leave.

“You got it! See ya, (Y/N)!” Bumblebee calls back, and you smile over your shoulder at him. He doesn't leave until you're back in your house. While he's driving away, a thought hits him. It's still pretty early in the day, and for the love of Primus, _why_ did he pick such a late time?

–

As soon as you get into your house, just as you did when you came home yesterday, you fall asleep the moment you get into bed. You really underestimated how tired you were and how much of a recovery period you'd need. It's fine though, you need to rest up for your date- fuck, it's _not_ a date! You need your rest for your purely platonic get-together with Bumblebee.

When you finally wake up, it takes you about 5 minutes to register your surroundings. You stare at the clock on the wall. Oh nice, it's 8:56, which means you only have four minutes to go from a disheveled raccoon to someone who looks actually presentable. That is, if Bumblebee's not already here. Son of a bitch.

You throw yourself out of bed, and end up tripping over your own feet. That's awesome, like, real smooth. You run into the bathroom and comb your fingers through your hair. Okay that's fine, that's good enough, you've got a messy-haired punk thing going on. You wipe your mouth of any drool remnants and straighten out your clothes. That's the best you can do in a short amount of time. You run to your front window, and peek out of the curtains. He's not here yet, so you're reduced to impatiently pacing around your kitchen. Did he say he'd be here _at_ nine, or _around_ nine? How do you know you haven't slept through it completely and your clock is broken?

It's 9:01. Did you just get stood up?

At 9:03 you're this close to pulling out a pint of ice cream and watching reruns of Dr. Phil. You're halfway to the freezer when you hear honking, and nearly decapitate yourself running back to the window. Bumblebee is parked outside and you've never been so happy to see a bright yellow car outside your goddamn house at 9:04 PM. 

Instead of running out, you wait for about 20 seconds before strolling out your front door at a leisurely pace. You're no in big hurry, it's not like you almost started crying just now. Before you slide into the driver's seat, you take a deep breath. Okay, be cool.

Once inside, you greet Bumblebee warmly. “Hey... nice seein' you again.” You smile, hoping you don't sound too nervous. 

“Nice seeing you too! I was thinking, since you might not want to do something too intense, we could just relax! And I know just the place to go.” He replies, taking off down the street. You're not really if your definition of “relax” is the same as Bumblebee's. You stare out the window as you pass under the city lights. You notice that Bumblebee is driving you outside of town.

“Uh, where are we going?” You ask, looking back at the retreating shape of the city.

Is he taking you to the Autobots' base? The thought is disappointing, as you thought it'd be just the two of you tonight. Also, you'd still very much like to avoid Optimus Prime, for uh... the rest of your life. 

“You'll see!” Bumblebee replies. How helpful he is! You have little choice but to sit back and enjoy the ride. 

After what seems like forever, Bumblebee finally comes to a stop. “We're here!” He exclaims, slightly startling you. This doesn't look like the Autobot base. In fact, it doesn't look like anything at all. You exit the car, finally realizing where you are. It's the same canyon where you came with the Autobots yesterday, not to mention, the same place you were kidnapped. Yeah, when you want to relax, you think of _this_ place. It's a bit cloudy, and the moon is mostly full, kind of like a weird almond shape. It's also incredibly quiet, eerily so. When you hear the distinct sound of Bumblebee transforming, it sounds almost too loud. 

“Well, what do you think? It's real nice here, especially at night!” Bumblebee says cheerily, voice slightly echoing. 

“Yeah, it looks nice up here...” You say, thinking about how such a quiet place had been the site of a robot shootout no less than a day and a half ago. You sit down on the edge of the cliff, jumping slightly when Bumblebee sits next to you. 

Despite how it's _obviously_ not a date, the whole set-up has romantic vibes all over it. Next thing you know, Bumblebee's gonna be pulling the whole “The view is beautiful but you know what else is beautiful? You.”, and you don't think you're gonna be able to handle that. You're both silent, and you can't tell if that's a good thing.

When it comes down to it, you two still don't really know each other. Your mind swarms with questions, but none of them seem appropriate to ask. Does he miss his planet? Do they they have TV there? God, what are you _doing_? The silence starts to feel overwhelming, so you finally speak.

“Do you, uh, like Earth?” You ask, satisfied that you came up with something good.

“Yeah! It's no Cybertron but it sure is something else.” He replies, “I've been having a pretty good time learning about all the weird customs you have here.”

“That's good...” You trail off, “Do you miss your planet?”

You're this close to throwing yourself off the cliff, _why_ did you ask him that? How do you know this isn't a sore subject for him?

“Yeah, I do. Earth's great and all, but it's just not home, y'know? Maybe one day I'll take you to Cybertron, when we get rid of the Decepticons once and for all.” Bumblebee says, looking down at you. 

You're not sure how to feel about that. Okay, whatever, he probably promised Spike the same thing. You stare up at the moon as a cloud moves to obscure it. 

“You know, I've been wanting to hang out with you since yesterday. I feel bad for not being there to help you when you were taken...” Bumblebee says, still looking at you. Oh no, why is he talking about yesterday? You'll never forgive yourself if you start crying in front of _him_ too. 

“Oh, don't feel bad, the whole situation was kind of my fault anyway.” You say calmly, “None of that probably would've happened if I had just kept my mouth shut.”

“Really though! If I hadn't been trying so hard to one-up Sideswipe, I could've saved you!” Bumblebee insists. You keep your eyes on the moon, knowing that you might lose your cool if you meet his gaze. 

“But you _did_ save me. You saved me from the Decepticons, and I don't know how I could ever pay you back.” You glance at Bumblebee for a second, and he's still staring at you intently. 

“You don't have to pay me back at all. I'm just happy you're okay. I just wish I could've prevented all... this.” Bumblebee says, running his finger over your arm, referring to your bruises. “Did Rumble and Frenzy do this?”

You frown, “Yeah... they're a bit... rough. Starscream got his hands on me at some point and tried shooting at me.”

“Those Decepticons make me sick...” Bumblebee grumbles, shaking his head. Is he more upset by the Decepticons in general, or more upset that you got hurt? Probably the former. 

You begin slowly, “I should probably try and stay out of the way from now on, you Autobots don't need some human in the way.” 

“What? No, don't be ridiculous. We have all sorts of human allies! Did you already forget when you socked Frenzy in the face? That was amazing!” Bumblebee exclaims. “Don't sell yourself short, you really are a force to be reckoned with!” 

“You're just saying that! I'm nothing special. There's probably a ton of humans who could do what I did, but better.” You laugh, but Bumblebee looks you dead in the eyes.

“I mean it, though. Even if you think there's better humans out there than you, I wouldn't want anyone else on my side but you.” 

Oh. 

How do you even respond to something like that? The overall mood has taken a turn and you need to _go_. Alright, he's just saying nice things to make you feel better, get your mind out of the love-filled gutter before you drown in it. You keep your eyes on anything but the bot next to you.

Your hands have been resting by your sides since you sat down, idly moving rocks between your fingers. You feel Bumblebee's hand slightly move on top of yours, or at least half of his hand. You jump and inhale deeply. It's alright, it was probably an accident. You don't move your hand and neither does he. Okay, maybe he can't tell your hand is there because it's too small? He's can't be trying to hold your hand, he just can't. This isn't happening, and yet it is. What if you just...

You want to see if this is what you think it is, so you scoot close to Bumblebee, just a little bit. Now your hands are touching even more. It's alright though, because any second now, he's gonna scoot away. 

Nope, nope, you've never been so wrong. Bumblebee scoots even closer to you, and your arms are pressed against each other. Your heart jumps, and your mind is scrambled. That one definitely wasn't an accident, and you're itching to know what he's thinking. Does he think this is a date? Because you're starting to believe it is. I mean, here you are, on a moonlit night sitting on a cliff together, your hand-holding meter is at least 60%. 

Of course you like Bumblebee; he's nice and a joy to be around. But do you _like_ him? You'd rather not think about that right now, so you wonder: does he like _you_? Wow, alright, you don't want to think about that either. You feel very anxious right now, and wish you had stayed home. You stand up, and turn away from Bumblebee.

“Do you think we could go back? I'm, uh...” What are you supposed to say? 

_Sorry Bee, I'm really conflicted on how I feel about you so I need to be alone so I can think about whether or not this counted as a date._

You never finish your sentence, and Bumblebee stands up behind you. “Don't worry about it, (Y/N)! I understand if you still need to rest.” 

Is it you, or does he sound dejected? Isn't that nice, another thing for you to have stress dreams about.

–

Bumblebee was fairly certain he'd screwed up. You didn't pull back when he touched your hand, and you even scooted closer to him. Wasn't scooting closer himself the right thing to do, or is it different on Earth? You were both having a nice time, or at least he was, but then you got up and asked to go home. Of course he'll take you home, but he's just wondering if he upset you somehow. You were awfully distant; but he wasn't sure if that was his fault either. 

You're just as quiet on the drive back as you were on the drive there. Except this time, you look like you're in some really deep thought. Maybe you're thinking about how much you regret asking him to hang out. If you'd ever give him another chance, he'll try not to make the same mistake twice. Bumblebee makes a mental note; hand-holding is okay, but too much physical contact is not. Maybe those should be reversed, but he doesn't want to risk it. 

When he parks in front of your house, you smile awkwardly. “I know I said I'd be more energetic after some rest, but I guess I lied. Sorry about that.”

“That's alright, I was just happy to be with you.” He replies, wondering if that was too obvious. Smooth one, Bumblebee, real smooth. 

You exit his alt-mode and start walking the path to your house. You pause after a few steps and turn to face him, wringing your hands together. “Uh, weird question, but... do you think you could transform for me? Just real quick, I promise.”

Bumblebee transforms, standing over you. You back up and motion for him to lean over. Are you going to tell him something? He comes to a knee before you, and you take slow steps approaching him. He's fully expecting you to whisper something to him, or at the most, try and hug him. What you do next about damn near shorts his circuits. 

You lean up and kiss him. 

It lasts maybe 4 seconds, and even though your mouth is still a lot smaller than his, it's still amazing. Bumblebee had moved to try and hold onto you, but before he could touch you, you pulled back and ran into your house. He can't even form a coherent thought right now, but he just transforms and drives away. Yeah, he's not going to be able to stop thinking about this for a while. The Decepticons could show up and destroy the entire city, and he'd just be off to the sidelines thinking about how you _kissed_ him.

–

Oh my god. What the fuck was _that_? You weren't even thinking, you just... did it. You've ruined everything. You're never going to be able to talk to Bumblebee again. You're not even 100% sure if you like him that way, and you kissed him! Regret, regret, regret! If only Starscream had actually shot you the other day, none of this would've happened. You should make a list; _Autobots I Can Never Talk To Again_. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are right up top. God, you're an _idiot_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh i hope u all liked it  
> i got some rly nice comments last time i updated (u know who u arrrrreee <3)  
> i love yall like u guys really do make my day  
> also im laughin bc i dont think dr phil existed in the 80s or whenever tf g1 takes place


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!!  
> gjdkfld sry for takin so long to update lmao  
> bein in college is hard and i also sprained my ankle so yknow  
> its fall break and i finally got some shit done

If your life was a novel, it'd start out as a run-of-the-mill slice of life, then it'd shift to science fiction. Right now, though, you'd say it's more like a bad coming-of-age romance story. It's been, what, two days? You've already fucked everything up. You're going to bed, and not ever getting up. And you mean it this time! No more of that “oh let's try and talk to the Autobots!”. You just can't wait to see what kind of dreams your shit brain cooks up for you this time. Instead of going to your room, you lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling. Eventually, you do fall asleep, and not a single dream to be had. Maybe it's because you kept waking up every five minutes because you're sleeping on a goddamn couch.

You wake to the sun peeking through a crack in the blinds. You groan, and feel across the floor to find the TV remote. Yep, never leaving your house again, starting now. You flip through all the channels three times, and there's nothing to watch. You settle on one of those jewelry channels. Aw yeah, real sapphire earrings? Fuck it _up_. You sit there and take in the jewelry for about 20 more minutes before shooting up off the couch. To hell with this, you need to be _out_. Being cooped up alone with your thoughts isn't helping you. You tear off your clothes and leave them on the couch. Who cares? It's your house. After freshening up and getting dressed, you're hyped. Yeah, you're gonna go outside and you know, not think about your mistakes! Maybe you'll go to the mall and eat some shitty vendor food. Solid plan.

You shove your keys and wallet into your pockets and leave your mental anguish at the door. You step out of your house and take a deep breath. Actually finding something to do with your time will surely make you feel better, won't it? Sure, whatever, you just want to go buy a big pretzel. 

Walking through your neighborhood and the busy town fills you with peace. A baby smiled at you, and you saw a cat. It's kind of a long way to the mall, and you kind of regret your choice to walk there. Given your past experience (like the past two days) of being in cars, you'd much rather walk, thank you very much. Nothing will stop you from getting your big pretzel.

You finally make it to the mall, and immediately slump down on a nearby bench. Nobody can ever tell you that you don't exercise, not with how your feet are on the verge of being amputated. It wasn't _that_ bad, but you might as well get some theatrics in. You make your way past groups of teenagers and shopping couples to the food court. The line for pretzels is sort of long, and oh, how you must suffer. 

“(Y/N)! Let me talk to you real quick!” That voice, is it...? Oh no. No, no, no. You're not getting sucked into this, you are _not_ dealing with any more weird drama. Just as your worst fears confirm, you see Spike walking toward you. He places a hand on your shoulder and leads you away from the line and to a small table and chairs. Reluctantly, you sit across from him, peering at the pretzel vendor in your peripheral vision. Alright, fuck it, what does Spike want from you this time.

“Hey. Uh, fancy seeing you here.” You keep the annoyance out of your voice. “What's up?”

“Well, last night I was hanging out with Bumblebee. Then he left because he said he had something to do with you.” Oh no. For the love of god, you hope that Bumblebee isn't the type to kiss and tell.

Spike continues on, “When he came back, he was acting really weird. When I tried asking him for a ride home, he just kept spacing out! I had to ask Hound for a ride back! He's still kind of acting weird now. I just wanna know, what happened last night?”

He's staring at you so intently, you're full on deer-in-headlights. No matter how you put it, it's just going come out weird.

_“We went on a date and I kissed him.”_ What the fuck. No.

_“Oh, you know.”_ That makes it sound even worse!

_“We were just hanging out and then I kissed him. Haha, don't you hate it when that happens?”_ Stop it.

You lean in, keeping your voice low. “Listen, so... we were just hanging out near the cliffs. We were talking and uh, stuff. Some things happened, and when he brought me home, I told him to transform for me, and we... uh...” You can't make yourself say it, so you just make a small kiss noise, hoping Spike catches on.

Spike reels back, eyes wide. “Did... Did you make out with my car?!” Oh _god_ , he said that so loudly! Some of the people eating, or standing in line spare the two of you a bewildered glance. Fuck, fuck, fuck, you're never going to be able to return to this food court. Maybe not even this mall, depending on how fast word spreads. 

You hiss between your teeth. “Keep your voice _down_. I didn't make out with him, I just gave him a little kiss, that's _all_. Also, Bumblebee isn't _your_ car; he's an alien, he can do whatever he wants!” 

“Is that why he's been acting so weird? Because you two went on a date?” 

You sigh, and lean back in your seat. “It wasn't a date. Things just happened, okay?”

Spike looks confused, “Are you two gonna start dating? Because I'm pretty sure Bumblebee likes you.”

You wince. “Well, I- I don't know. I just kind of did it. I just wanted to know if I'd like it.”

“What does that mean? Are you just stringing him along?” Spike frowns at you, “It's not nice to play with other people's feelings like that.”

You gape at him, your annoyance starting to show, “Don't talk about things you don't know anything about. You wouldn't understand, alright? I'm not playing with Bumblebee's feelings, I'm just... unsure of myself.”

“Then why did you kiss him at all?”

“I don't know, alright? I just wanted to see what it was like!” You snap, “Stop trying to guilt me.”

Spike holds his hands up, “I'm not, alright? (Y/N), maybe it'd be best if you backed off? Like uh, the Decepticons could kidnap you again, if they know Bumblebee's your boyfriend, and use you against the Autobots. So...” You've never heard an excuse so blatantly and shoddily made up on the spot before.

You scowl, and stand up from your seat. “Is this really about the Decepticons or do you just not trust me? And I don't know if you remember, but they already _have_ used me against the Autobots! Fine then, I see what you're doing. I won't take things any further with Bumblebee. You're welcome! And if he ever asks why, I'll tell him that you told me not to!” 

Spike tries to calm you, “That's not what I meant! I just meant that it might be too dangerous for you to be with him!”

You shove past him, making way for the exit. You're not about to get told off by some kid. Your anger fuels your stride, out the doors of the mall, and through the city. This probably isn't about you getting targeted by the Decepticons, this is about Spike getting pissy that his best alien-car-bro-friend is looking to get with you, and you'll get in the way of their friendship. Whatever, what does _he_ know? You don't need Bumblebee; there are plenty of other Autobots. Maybe you'll hit up Sideswipe for another ride, hmm? Or Sunstreaker. Or both; get your hands on a sweet two-for-one deal. What about Ironhide? He's rugged in a cute way. Whoever you pick, they sure as hell aren't gonna have some human boy hanging around them, trying his hardest to enforce the “bros before hos” rule on them. Are you a ho? Do you fit that criteria?

You're almost halfway home when you realize that you never did get your big pretzel. _God fucking damn it_.

–

Leaving your house was a terrible idea. God, whose fucking idea was that anyway? Your idea, of course, but you're not in the mood for blaming yourself, so you'll blame those damn sapphire earrings on the jewelry channel. You'd gone from slightly anxious to spiteful and bitter. These damn ass aliens are turning out to be more trouble than they're worth. You go back to your prior thoughts about hooking up with a different Autobot to spite Spike. Then it hits you that you'd be doing exactly what you said you _weren't_ doing: playing with their emotions. Fuck. What are you supposed to do? A bigger person would probably _not_ try and get back at Spike, but you can't be a ho _and_ a bigger person. This is stupid.

Once you come home, you do what you do best; watch the jewelry channel again. God, yes, you are living for ruby bracelets. Fuck it right the hell _up_.

–

After your night together, Bumblebee was all too eager to see you again. Admittedly, he did kind of stumble off into his own world after returning to base. He's not sure, but he thinks Spike tried talking to him, but when he finally came back to himself, he was gone. Wheeljack made a joke about him needing his head checked out by Ratchet, but Bumblebee insisted there was nothing wrong with him. The next day, he was more than delighted to hear that Spike wanted to talk to you about something, which of course, meant that he'd get to see you again. Unfortunately, you weren't home. After that, Spike asked him to drop him off at the mall to meet Carly. Bumblebee tried looking for you, but stopped soon after realizing it really might just make him look desperate, or clingy. Nope, gotta play it cool.

As he was taking a final drive around town before returning to Autobot headquarters, he saw you. You were walking very quickly, shoulders tensed, and your face twisted in anger. You looked pissed, obviously, but you also looked kind of... hot? Oh boy. Bumblebee wanted nothing more than to go pick you up, but you did not look like you were having it. What happened? You were coming from the same direction as the mall, so maybe...? Nah, probably just a coincidence. Maybe he'll ask Spike about it later.

Bumblebee just can't wait to see you again. Maybe you'll kiss him again; maybe he'll get more than that.

–

You spend a good 2 hours with your only reliable companion, the jewelry channel. At some point you eat like six string cheese sticks, mourning your big pretzel, which never came to be. You just feel like you're waiting for something that won't happen. On a whim, you change your TV to the news, and it's some politician talking about whether or not the Autobots are helping or hurting humanity. God, whatever. You switch off your TV and sigh. The most interesting thing that's ever happened to you is probably ruined for you now. 

Right as you're getting up to grab more string cheese, a unusually hard knock comes to your door. You're not expecting guests, especially guests who knock so urgently on your door. It's either something important, or some door-to-door asshole who thinks he's the shit. When you open your door, there's nobody there. You peek around, but there's no trace of anyone. You feel something brush against your leg, and when you glance down you see an entire fucking rose bush. Someone literally uprooted a rose bush, tied the roots up neatly with some rope, and dumped it on your doorstep. Is this a prank? Is this what kids do nowadays? Is someone going to cut down a tree and throw it through your window? 

Who just does this in broad daylight? Is... Is this a courting gesture? A normal person might leave one rose on your doorstep, but the one you suspect to have done this _isn't_ a normal person. You're almost completely certain Bumblebee did this, but you're not 100% on it. You're no genius but you're pretty sure there's no way he could've walked up to your porch, dumped this rose bush here, and got out of sight all before you made it to your door. He's too big; it's just not realistic. You groan, this uprooted rose bush only serving to remind you that you're still confused on how to approach the whole “do I want this alien robot to be my boyfriend” dilemma. What are you even supposed to do with this thing? 

You drag the rose bush inside by the roots and close the door before anyone sees. You carefully cut off the roses. At least, the ones that hadn't been crushed, and place them in a small vase. As for the rest of the bush, you shove it in a trash bag and leave it by the door. After a formidable, but not entirely successful attempt to clean up the dirt and leaves, and tending to the small punctures left by the thorns, you sit on your kitchen counter and stare at the vase.

It's a nice gesture, if not a little messy. Oh well though, it's not like you can reciprocate. Nope, not at all, not after the little scene Spike made at the mall. Alright, calm down, you don't even know if it was from Bumblebee. After all, it could've just been a new form of vandalism. Joke's on them, though, now you have a nice new centerpiece for your table. Your house is kind of sparse and covered in crap, but at least you have roses.

–

You briefly considered going all the way back to the mall to try and get your well-deserved big pretzel, but at this point in the day, it's probably not worth it. The sun is low in the sky, and you're sprawled across your couch watching infomercials. Yeah, this is the life. Adventures with giant robots _whom_? 

You're just about to doze off when you hear some commotion out back. You chalk it up to being a stray animal and allow your eyes to close again. Then you hear a loud cracking noise, followed by some shouting. Alright, not an animal. It's either a burglar failing horribly at subtlety, or your neighbors are up to some shit again. Either way, you've grabbed a, uh, meat tenderizer from your kitchen, and you're not afraid to use it.

You sneak around under your windows, inching closer to the back door. You hear more talking, followed by aggravated shushing. Why would anyone want to steal from you? It's not like you have anything worth taking. Nobody's taking your non-existent valuables, that's for sure! The voices get closer and closer, and your grip tightens on the meat tenderizer. Your breathing slows, and you reach above to turn the doorknob.

At speed you didn't even think possible for yourself, you throw the door open and launch yourself at the intruders. You collide into a hard body, sending you both to the ground. God, that collision hurt more than you thought it would. Letting your instinct take over, you sit up and raise the meat tenderizer above your head and prepare yourself to strike. Your grip falters and you nearly drop the damn thing on your head when you realize who the “burglars” are.

“Wow! That's one way to greet a friend, human!” It's fucking Rumble. 

“Stupid! I told you we should've knocked!” And of course, Frenzy's here too. 

Rumble and Frenzy came to your house. What, are they here to kidnap you again? You look across the yard and see that they literally broke down part of the wood-plank fence encircling your yard. The fence itself was kind of shitty to begin with, but these two busted through it like it was nothing.

You don't even know what to say. The fact that two Decepticons, a faction notorious for wanting to destroy Earth and its inhabitants, are in your yard right now for who knows _what_ reason, is unbelievable even to you. Is this another dream? 

It should also be noted that when you tackled Rumble and poised yourself to attack him, it left you in a rather odd position. As in, you're sitting on top of him, your thighs on each side of his hips. You yell out, and scramble off of him, and as far as you can get away from the both of them. 

You scoot away until your back hits the exterior of your house, still clutching the meat tenderizer as if it stands any chance against them.

“I- What are you-” You sputter over your words until you can finally get something out, “ _Why?_ ” 

The two scoff, and Rumble picks himself up. “What? Can't a couple of mechs pay a visit to their favorite little fleshbag?”

You shake your head wildly, “No! I-I don't know anything about what the Autobots are doing, so you can back off!”

Frenzy laughs, “Yeah, because the Autobots would trust a wimp like you with their plans!”

You point the meat tenderizer menacingly at them, “Stay back! I'm warning you! I'm not going back to your fucking base!”

The two seem to laugh even harder at your threats. Frenzy snatches the meat tenderizer out of your hand, breaks the wooden handle, twists off the head, and crushes it between his hands. There goes your only defense. He throws the broken remains at your feet and smirks at you.

Rumble slaps his brother's back, “Hey, don't forget, they sure showed you who's boss!” He mimes a punch, and snickers loudly. You can only hope Frenzy isn't too upset about you punching him.

He scoffs and crosses his arms, “Whatever! It's not my fault, all that water was throwin' me off my game!” He moves across the yard, and picks you up by the front of your shirt. “How about a round two?”

You whimper, and try to yank yourself out of his grip. Rumble elbows Frenzy roughly, causing him to drop you.

“Knock it off, we're not here to screw around!” The two look like they're on the verge of brawling with each other.

“H-He's right; no fighting! Just get the hell out of my yard!” You yell, gathering your courage to stand up before them.

“C'mon, why so hostile? You had to have known we were coming!” Frenzy remarked, “We left you those flowers! Rumble, idiot, you said humans liked flowers!”

“They do! I mean, they were gone when we came back so they must've done something with them!” Rumble snaps back, gesturing to you.

That rose bush. So it wasn't an awkward display of romance from Bumblebee, but a awkward display of romance/possible threat from Rumble and Frenzy. You'd almost be flattered if you weren't slightly terrified. You stare wide-eyed at the ground while the two Decepticons in front of you keep talking among themselves.

“Oh man, human, I bet you would've gone wild over our first plan.” Frenzy laughs, “We were gonna that one human thing, y'know, when they stand outside a house with a boombox!”

“Yeah, it was gonna be great, but Soundwave said no.” Rumble laments, crossing his arms.

Having these two around was bad enough, and you don't even want to think about what would happen if Soundwave had come along. You shake your head, “I... Alright, if you're not here to attack me or whatever, what do you even want?”

Frenzy moves to your side and slings his arm around your shoulders, “We're just here to hang out; have some fun like we did before!”

You deadpan, “You mean, when I got kidnapped and you guys pushed me around for like two hours?”

Your displeasure seems to be lost on them, as Frenzy just laughs.

“Don't act like you didn't have fun! Remember when we arm-wrestled? Pft, maybe one day you'll be strong enough to beat one of us... but I doubt it.”

You've had enough.

“Oh, arm-wrestling? I just remembered that as a thinly-veiled excuse to hold my hand. You liked how soft they were, didn't you? I have some lotion somewhere if that'd sweeten the experience.”

Here's hoping your backtalk won't get you maimed.

Frenzy immediately withdraws his arm, and the two of them are reduced to stuttering and half-hearted excuses.

You don't stop there, though. “I know you liked my hands on yours, so what else did you want me to touch?”

A moment of silence. Great wording there.

“Don't answer that.” You quickly add in, but it's too late. Rumble and Frenzy start snickering to each other and whispering.

You approach them and place your hands on their chests, pushing them toward the hole in the fence.

“Great talk, but now you need to leave.” 

Rumble grabs your wrist, “Come on! We just got here!” You push harder on the two.

“Won't Megatron miss you? Doesn't he need _all_ of his Decepticons by his side? What kind of soldiers are you?” You insist, continuing to push, but they don't move an inch.

“He won't notice if we're gone for a moment.” Rumble pushes your hands off his and Frenzy's chests.

“Yeah! If he wants something done, he'll just get Starscream to do it!” Frenzy adds in, “Well, Starscream can never do anything right anyway, except complain!”

“Ooooh, _Megatron has faaaaalleeeen!_ I, _Starscream_ , am the new leader of the Decepticons! Come along, and watch me fail for the sixteenth time!” Rumble gestures dramatically, raising his voice to a over-exaggerated screech to impersonate Starscream. Frenzy doubles over in laughter, and you stifle back a chuckle.

“Aren't you two the comedians? Now that you've had your laugh, I ought to reduce you to scrap for your disrespect!” A different voice interrupts you. It's coming from behind you, and when you look, speak of the devil, it's Starscream. He's leaning against your house. Do your neighbors just turn a blind eye to everything? _“Oh Carol, there's a giant robot next door. Let's hope he doesn't step on the marigolds!”_

The laughter turns to silence as the three of you peer up at the Seeker. Rumble and Frenzy look more inconvenienced than anything. 

“Don't be such a spoilsport, we were just joking! I bet Thundercracker and Skywarp say worse things to your face all the time!” Rumble says. 

You're not exactly on good terms with Starscream, seeing as he tried to kill you last time. You step backward until you bump into Rumble and Frenzy, who both move in front of you.

“Be cool for once, won't you? We're just taking a little break!” Frenzy says.

“With a human? Perhaps I should tell Megatron that you're secretly conspiring with the enemy...” Starscream taunts, pointing his gaze to you briefly. You avoid his eyes.

“That's not even what we're doing! This human probably has some useful dirt on the Autobots!” Frenzy continues, possibly making an excuse for him and his brother. You smack the back of his helm; it doesn't affect him.

Starscream further steps into your backyard, leaning over to push Rumble and Frenzy aside, revealing your slightly cowering figure. He sneers at you and stands back up.

“Pathetic. As stupid as the Autobots are, I highly doubt they'd entrust their secrets to such a lowly creature. Even the human Spike looks more promising than _them_.” 

Whatever witty thing you were going to say dies on your tongue. It's probably best you keep your mouth shut anyway.

“In any case, you two are done here.” Starscream drawled, “Return to Megatron now, and maybe I won't obliterate you.”

“Get fragged, Starscream, you're not the boss of us!” Frenzy exclaimed.

Starscream's expression turned to outrage, “Fine! Why don't I alert Soundwave as to what you've been doing? Soliciting a human! And I thought you two had standards.” Rumble's imitation wasn't too far off, you note, as Starscream's voice raises to an angered shriek.

He turns to leave, and looks over his shoulder right at you. “As for you, I'll be keeping a close eye on you.” 

You open your mouth to speak, but Starscream transforms and takes off, the roar of a jet engine echoing through the street. You wonder if your neighbors will blame you for that. Great, now Starscream's probably gonna come back to murder you.

Rumble groans, “This sucks; now we're never gonna hear the end of it. Great job, I bet you were the one who led Starscream here. He probably saw you!” 

Frenzy punches his brother on the arm, “You wouldn't know the first thing about stealth if it ripped out your spark; I bet it was you!”

And of course, the two tackle each other onto the ground, grunting and wrestling. They've definitely overstayed their welcome, and you've just about had it.

“HEY!” You yell, and both staring at you in alarm. “Don't you two need to _go_ now?”

Rumble and Frenzy pick themselves up and start running for the broken fence. 

Frenzy calls back, “See you next time, human! That is, if Starscream doesn't kill you!”

You yell to their retreating forms, “There isn't going to be a next time! I don't want either of you coming back!” It's too late though, they disappear around a corner.

It's just you, alone in your backyard with a section of your fence destroyed. You groan loudly, and drag your weary self back inside. You flop backwards onto your couch, and rub your eyes.

So, Rumble and Frenzy sort of asked you on date, or maybe they're building up to it. I mean, where else could they have gotten the idea to leave you flowers than from something corny and romantic? And they did kinda get embarrassed when you brought up holding hands. It's almost flattering, if they didn't piss you off so much.

And of course, the more pressing issue: Starscream is probably coming back for you. You really hate Frenzy for insinuating that you knew anything about what the Autobots are doing. What does it mean that he's “keeping an eye” on you? He's a giant robot; he's not exactly subtle. Then again, he'd been standing there and watching the three of you for who knows how long. You should probably tell the Autobots about that, or at the very least, ask if you can lay low at their base for a few days.

There's another knock at your door. For the love of fuck, if Rumble or Frenzy came back, you're gonna flip. You stomp to the door, and open it with a bit more force than intended. 

“ _What?!_ ” You snap, your expression immediately faltering.

It's a cop; taken slightly aback by your outburst.

“Good evening, we received a noise complaint from this address.”

Of course, why not? Thanks, Starscream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sry if this chapter seems kinda boring but heres hopin my ""humor"" makes up for it  
> promise i wont take a fuckin month for the next update  
> love yall <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!!  
> i am SO sorry for taking forever lmfao "i promise i wont make yall wait for a month!" yeah right bitch  
> college is really something, ill say that much  
> i expected to get something done during winter break but uh, nope

After your encounter with the police officer, who so mercifully let you off with a warning, you just go straight to bed. The only thing you've learned today is that you should really stop getting out of bed. Yeah, you'd be stuck with your dreams, but at least those are _fake_. You take off your clothes, and put on a big shirt and some soft pants. Really, it seems like every time you get out of bed, things just get weirder and weirder. Next thing you know, Megatron will be trying to kidnap you and make you into a carrier for his _robot eggs_ , because, yeah, that's a thing. Or you'll just sit in room alone building robot children for him like some kind of factory worker.

You encase yourself in blankets, and close your eyes. You hope that getting some rest will quell your headache. You burrow further into your blanket nest, soon falling asleep.

After what feels like only a few moments, you're awoken by a knocking on your window. According to your clock it's actually been several hours, but you're just hoping it's an actual robber this time. The knocking persists, harder this time, and you fear whoever it is will end up breaking your window. You peer over and try to make out whoever it is through the blinds. Yep, they certainly have a humanoid shape about them, and no doubt they've also got two arms. You try to return to your sleep, but the knocking doesn't stop. A few more strange noises catch your attention; it sounds they're trying to open your window from the _outside_. For fuck's sake, you've had enough of this.

You kick off your blankets and hop up out of bed. Whoever's out there is gonna get an earful from you, because damn it, you're tired. You yank open your curtains and if you hadn't been so tired at that moment you probably would've yelled, because guess who? It's fucking Frenzy. You're only mildly shocked, but extremely annoyed. You'd like nothing more than to just close the curtains on him and go back to bed, but he'll probably break your window.

You stare through your window wearily. Frenzy is waving at you and motioning for you to open the window. You don't see Rumble anywhere, but you assume he's somewhere nearby. You sigh, and open the window, kneeling down in front of it. 

“Oh man, I thought you'd never open up-” Frenzy begins, and you cut him off.

“What the _fuck_ are you doing back here?” You rub your temples, glaring at Frenzy through the screen mesh. “Do you know what time it is?”

“What, not even a “hello”? Ain't it obvious? I came back to see you!” He says, entirely too loudly for the middle of the night. 

You scoff, “Did the Decepticons kick you out? If you're looking for somewhere to stay I'd go find the Autobots, or maybe the nearest dumpster.” 

Frenzy pushes both of his hands against the window mesh, almost hard enough to break it, “That's the thing! Rumble's covering for me back at the base! I'm bustin' my aft coming back here, at least act a _little_ appreciative!”

“I never _asked_ you to!” You facepalm. “Because of you, Starscream is coming after me!” 

“Come on, Starscream's not that scary. He's all talk.” Frenzy tries to reassure you, unsuccessfully.

“Maybe _you_ don't think he's scary, but may I remind you that he could crush me with a single finger!” You hiss, “Now stop talking about him, before he shows up again!”

Frenzy holds up his hands, “Okay, calm down. Nobody's followed me, I double-checked.”

You sigh, and lean your head against the side of the window.

“So, are you gonna let me in, or not?” 

You bristle, “No! Of course not! I still don't know what you want!”

He snaps at you, “I _told_ you, I came to see you!”

“But why!? I don't have anything you want!” Your voice raising in frustration. “Do you me _like_ me or something? You got a thing for humans that can kick your ass? I'll give you another beating, no strings attached!” 

A moment of silence, and you blush in embarrassment at your outburst. Frenzy rubs the back of his helm, “Well, y'know, when you hit me, you _almost_ left a dent, not really, but...” His awkward chuckle trails off, “Didn't think you had it in ya. Kind of impressive, for a human...”

You stare at the floor, “Listen, if I let you in for just a few minutes, will you go awa-” 

Frenzy's face brightens and he rushes around house to the front door before you can finish your sentence.

You race to the door, unsure as to whether or not you even locked it. Right as the door opens barely halfway, you brace yourself against it.

He shouts through the door, “What's the big idea, you said I could come in!” He pushes the door open easily, and despite your best efforts and the use of all of your strength (which really isn't much, if we're being honest), the door flies open and throws you against the wall.

“This place is a dump! Do you humans always live like this?” Frenzy announces loudly, to which you ignore. At least your house doesn't emit waves of hostility and bloodlust, unlike the Decepticon base. You pick yourself up off the ground and place a hand on Frenzy's chest, keeping him from going further.

“I said, you could come in for a little bit, but only if you keep your hands off my stuff, and not try and steal anything!” You quickly move to close the door and lock it. Now it's just the two of you. 

“I don't want any of your lame human stuff, I just wanted to take a look around!” Frenzy says, investigating your furniture and all the various decorations you have scattered about. He throws himself onto your couch, the frame cracking loudly. You wince, and hope that you could try fix whatever's broken with some tape. Frenzy sighs with contentment, “I know I said this place was a dump, but I guess it's alright. Wonder if we could get one of these things back at the base.” He pats the couch cushion. You stand in front of him, arms crossed.

“Is this all you wanted? Just to lounge around? You know, just because I let you in, doesn't mean I'm not still upset about what happened earlier. You broke my _fence_ , lead Starscream to me, and you and Rumble were absolutely awful to me when you kidnapped me-”

Frenzy cuts you off, “Technically _Soundwave_ kidnapped you, me n' Rumble were just following orders! And I told you, you don't have to worry about Starscream.”

You sit on the furthest side of the couch away from Frenzy, and bury your face in your hands. “You're so dumb, you don't get it, do you?” To your displeasure, Frenzy only scoots closer.

“Geez, what kind of host are you, calling your guests dumb! You really don't get many guests do you?” Frenzy chuckles, and you barely register him getting up from the couch and making his way into the kitchen. The sound of metal hitting tile causes you to jump to your feet and rush after him.

“Ha, that's cute.” Frenzy gestures to the vase of roses you'd left on your table. “Uh, just so you know, the flowers were my idea.” He sends a wink your way. Your face reddens slightly.

“I thought they were from someone else...” You scowl. The thought of either Frenzy or his brother being romantically interested in your makes you feel anxious. Those two seem to do what they want, but can you really trust them? You're not sure if you're flattered by the fact that _right after_ the two got caught by Starscream, and possibly berated by Soundwave and/or Megatron, Frenzy decided to come back anyway. This is too much for you.

“Frenzy, no offense, but you have to leave now. I'm too tired to deal with you.” You say bluntly, trying to redirect him toward the door.

“What? I just got here! You humans can sleep when you're dead, I came here to see you, and that's what I'm going to do!” Frenzy smacks your hand off of him, which hurt a bit more than you're willing to admit. You blink slowly, and forcibly turn Frenzy around to face you, keeping your hands on the sides of his helm.

“Listen. I am... _very_ tired. I just want you to get the fuck out of my house so I can _sleep_. You couldn't have picked a worse time to drop in. I'm probably going to regret saying this, but if you come back literally any other time, then I will gladly let you back in.” You say calmly, but with great intensity. Frenzy seems to sense the bad vibes coming off you, and he only nods. 

“Can I bring Rumble?” He says quietly. 

You sigh, “You can bring Soundwave for all I care, just... get out. Leave me be.” You're still touching him, and he places one of his hands over yours.

“You got it. But, one last thing.”  


You groan, “What is it now?” 

You don't know what you were expecting, but it certainly wasn't for Frenzy to press his lips against yours. One of his hands grabs your upper arm, and the other cups your face. It's way longer than the kiss you shared with Bumblebee. Frenzy kisses with a bit more force than you're used to, and you're too shocked to even reciprocate.

Just as your knees begin to buckle, Frenzy pulls back and starts backing away toward the door. “Heh, that's all.” And before you know it, he's gone. 

Without a word, you close the door and lock it with a soft click. Calm as ever, you return to your bedroom, close the window and the curtains. You sit on your bed, pick up a pillow, and scream into it. You've truly had enough of this, but it doesn't seem to show any signs of stopping soon. You scream a few more times into your pillow until your throat feels raw. You curl up on your bed and completely cover yourself in blankets. Now you're really not going to be able to get to sleep. It wasn't enough that Bumblebee seems to really have a thing for you, but now Frenzy, and possibly Rumble? 

Your hand touches your lips briefly. Is it you or did kissing Frenzy feel... right? No, that's not it, that's absolutely not it. You're just thinking that because he's not as big as Bumblebee, and thus, felt more like kissing a human. When you kissed Bumblebee, you thought it was nice. It made your heart race, both out of excitement, and possibly regret. Would you kiss him again? That's the problem, you still don't know. You don't care how kissing Frenzy felt, he's a _Decepticon_. You still don't know what he wants, but you just know that you need to put an end to it. When you wake up, you'll try and see if the Autobots can't help you with this. That is, if you ever get back to sleep.

–

And you do! Apparently laying underneath a pile of blankets and not moving or thinking helped you get back to sleep. You wake up tangled in your blankets, most of your pillows on the floor, and your shirt ridden up. You sit up and stretch your arms. As soon as you get dressed, you're going to try and find a way to contact the Autobots. How _do_ people call them anyway? It seems like all the major political figures and military leaders have a way to talk to them. Do you just call 911 and ask for the Autobots? Or maybe, you can try and call Spike. 

You take your sweet time indulging in a nice hot shower, most of which is you standing under the scalding water in what appear to be deep thought. It's only when the hot water starts shifting to cold that you finally get out.

Once you're dressed, you dig around in drawers and shelves looking for a phonebook. Once you've found it, you plant yourself on a chair next to the phone, and start scouring through the pages. In the “W” section, there's only one person with the last name Witwicky, which you're both grateful for and unsurprised by (it's such a ridiculous sounding last name). 

You take a deep breath, and pick up the phone. No matter how old you get, you'll never stop getting nervous about making phone calls. Dialing in the number, you tap your fingers on the seat of the chair while waiting for the line to pick up. You're just about to hang up and try again some other time when the phone clicks.

“Hello?” The voice certainly sounds male, but doesn't quite sound like the teenage boy you've come to tolerate in the past few days.

“Is... this Spike?”

“Who's calling?”

You wince, “This is (Y/N). Me and Spike are... friends?”

“Oh! Hey, (Y/N), what's up?” Spike sounds as chipper as ever, and you breathe a sigh of relief, thankful it wasn't Spike's dad or something. What explanation would you have even given to wanting to talk to him? _“Yeah, I got these giant robots in my yard and I need your son to get some MORE giant robots to help me out.”_ Stupid.

“Nothing much. I need to ask you something.” 

“Shoot.”

“Well, I wanted to-” You're cut off as a knock comes to your door. Not the front door, the back. You've got a really bad feeling about this, so you place the receiver down gently and slowly make your way to the back door. The knocking persists, so you peek through the curtains. 

Son of a bitch. It's your two favorite robots, fucking Rumble and Frenzy! They're just standing on your porch like it's nothing. Rumble is carrying a blue boombox on his shoulder. If they're here to serenade you in broad daylight, you're not having it. You really should just ignore them this time but you figure those two aren't above breaking into your house. You run back to the phone, and pick up the receiver again. 

“Uh, I have to go, I'll call you later.” You say urgently.

“Wait, what's going on-” You hang up on Spike and return to the matter at hand; those two assholes knocking on your door.

You sigh deeply, and open the door.

“Hey, human! I sure hope you're in a better mood this time!” Frenzy says cheerfully, moving to enter the house. You place one hand on his chest and keep him in place.

“I don't think so. If you think that I'm going to let you in again, you've got another thing coming.” You proclaim. 

Frenzy just laughs, “C'mon, don't think I forgot about last night! You said, and I quote, 'if you come back literally any other time, then I'll gladly let you back in', remember?”

You grit your teeth, “I probably said a lot of things last night, but I changed my mind, now get out of here.”

Rumble quips from behind his brother, “No take backs, fleshie! Frenzy told me _everything_ that happened last night! You said me _and_ Soundwave could come along!” 

“...Soundwave's here?” You say cautiously, looking behind the two for anyone else. Suddenly the boombox on Rumble's shoulder leaps away from him and transforms. You didn't know Soundwave could transform into a boombox, and you're not sure how much that actually benefits him.

You cry out in alarm and try closing the door on the three robots. Frenzy just pushes it back open, “Hey-hey-! Come on, Soundwave's cool, I promise!” 

You struggle against the door, “I don't _care_! He's not even going to fit inside!” 

Your pushing against the door proves futile, as Frenzy places a hand on your chest, and pushes you down, right on your ass. 

“He doesn't have to _come_ in, but you said he could come!” Frenzy points out.

From your spot on the floor, you can see Soundwave on one knee in your backyard. What are the neighbors gonna think? Well, judging by the other night's fiasco with Starscream, you doubt they'll actually do anything until it directly affects them. If anything, they might mistake him for an Autobot.

“I didn't get a tour of your house, but Frenzy did! It's only fair.” Rumble pushes his brother out of the way to pick you up by the arm. “Show me around, won't you?”

You groan dramatically, making sure to vocalize your displeasure, “ _Fine_. I'll let Rumble look around, but Frenzy, _you_ stay here. Keep an eye on Soundwave, and for the love of god, don't let anyone see you.”

“You better not try and kick us out after this.” Frenzy nudges you, and turns back to Soundwave, waiting patiently outside. “Y'hear that Soundwave, I'm watching you, so you better not get in any trouble!” He snickers, to which Soundwave doesn't react in any way.

You pull your arm out of Rumble's grip, and lead him into the next room. “This is the living room, there's my TV, some pictures, and my couch. Your brother already did a number on it last night, so stay off of it.” Rumble pays no attention to you, and sits right on it, the frame breaking even more under his weight. 

“Not bad! It's only fair that I get a turn on your human furniture, right?” He smirks at you, bouncing on the cushion. At this rate, your couch is going to break in two, and you won't even be able to get another one because you're broke.

“Get up.” You groan, pinching the bridge of your nose. Rumble shrugs and stands up, making his way down the small hallway. The only things down there are your bedroom, the bathroom, and a small closet. You follow after him, keeping slightly in front. You stand in front of your bedroom door, but he goes for the bathroom. When you follow him in, he's admiring himself in the mirror over the sink. 

“Looking good, am I right?” Rumble says, presumably to you. 

You roll your eyes, speaking with the utmost sarcasm. “Yeah, breath-taking. Now get out of there.” 

Rumble doesn't seem to be listening, and starts fiddling with your tub. He grabs hold of the showerhead, and turns on the hot water.

“How do you turn this thing on?” Rumble turns to ask you, tapping the shower nozzle.

“You turn it on by putting it down and getting out of my bathroom.” You snap, pulling on his arm. He waves you away.

“Relax, I'm not gonna break it.” He says, continuing to mess with the faucets. You lean over him, and he flicks some water at you. You frown, and reach over to pull up the small diverter between the knobs. The hot water shoots out of the showerhead and right into Rumble's face. 

He yells out and you stand back, laughing at him. He drops the showerhead into the tub, still continuing to spray water. He glares at you, his face dripping wet.

“You think that's funny, huh?” Rumble picks up the showerhead and points it at you. Your laughter turns to cries of anger. The water has no right to be that hot, and you shield yourself with your arms as Rumble laughs loudly at you. 

“Stop! Stop! Alright, I'm sorry!” You yell, trying to reach for something on the sink counter to throw at him. The barrage of water stops as Rumble drops the showerhead, and reaches for a towel on the rack. 

“You got me there, human, but don't expect me to take it without a fight.” He remarks. wiping off his face.

“Yeah, great, thanks.” You snatch the towel out of Rumble's hands and dry off your face and arms. You're going to need to change your shirt, but not while _he's_ here.

Rumble walks out of the bathroom, “I don't know how to turn that thing off. You're the host here.” 

You glare daggers at the back of his head and turn off the shower before following him out. He didn't go back into the living room, he's not in the kitchen, and you doubt he went back outside. Dear god, he's in your bedroom. You didn't even _notice_ that the door was open. You race to the back of the house into your room. Rumble is there, lounging on your bed like he owns the place.

“Why didn't you tell me about this thing? We don't have any of these back at the base, hell, we don't even have these on Cybertron! Mind if I take this one?”

“Yes, I do mind! If you and Frenzy are so interested in my furniture, go get some of your own, and get off of mine!” You complain, smacking his arm, both of which are leisurely crossed behind his head.

Rumble sits up on your bed, and pulls you onto his lap. You gasp, and try to crawl off, but he's keeping an arm securely around your shoulders.

“Hey... in all seriousness, I heard you and Frenzy were mackin' on each other last night...” He says quietly, leaning in. 

You shove him, “That is _not_ what happened. I was tired, I wasn't thinking right, so I let Frenzy inside, and he kissed me. I didn't do anything!”

“That's not what he said. He said you were all over him.” Rumble continues, moving his arm from your shoulders to your lower back. The contact makes you shiver, and only try harder to move away.

“What else did he tell you?” You ask, thinking about how you're absolutely going to kick Frenzy's ass.

“Nothin' else important. I just want you to know, even if Frenzy was puttin' the moves on you, that _I'm_ the superior one outta both of us. Frenzy, he's a jerk, y'know?” He explains.

“You're both jerks, but okay.” Rumble ignores you.

“Those flowers? Yeah, that might've been Frenzy's idea but _I_ was the one who did all the dirty work.”

You groan, “I'm not interested in you or your brother, in fact, I might be interested in Frenzy even _less_ since he was telling lies about what happened.”

Rumble cheers, “Ha! I was telling him that you liked me more! I can't wait to see the look on his face...”

You finally pull yourself off of Rumble's lap, and stand up. “Are we done here? You saw my house, now let's go. I don't like how Soundwave, who's like, 20 feet tall, is just out there in plain sight. What if someone recognizes him?”

“Alright, alright, I'm coming.” Rumble stands up from your bed. “Frenzy was right about one thing, you worry too much.”

“Whatever. Go back outside, I need to change my shirt.” 

“Ooh, how enticing.” Rumble teases, and you push him outside the bedroom and slam the door. Before he tries to get into anything else, you quickly throw off your damp shirt and put on another. When you exit the room, Rumble is waiting for you by the back door.

“Took you long enough.”

“Shut up. It's your fault anyway.” 

When you step out into the back door, Soundwave is still the same spot as he was before. Frenzy is sitting on the ground next to him.

“Hey! Don't worry, Soundwave was good.” Frenzy waves at you. Before you can think of a snarky reply, Rumble charges at his brother.

“You piece of scrap! You lied about last night! No one with half a processor or whatever humans have in their heads would be throwing themselves on _you_!” He shouts, shoving Frenzy to the ground.

“You little-! You're just jealous that I got some and you didn't!” Frenzy retaliates, standing up to kick his brother in the chest. Before you know it, the two are fighting once again, and tearing up chunks of your lawn.

You almost yell in protest, but those two aren't going to listen to you. You sigh, and look at Soundwave helplessly. 

Rumble pins Frenzy down and starts rubbing his face with a chunk of dirt, “Try and get the human to kiss you _now_!”

There's a shovel in the closet near your bedroom, you wonder if you hit either of them hard enough with it, they'd stop. Just as you're about to go get it, Soundwave actually speaks up.

“Enough of this.” He says in an awfully robotic voice, like even more robotic than you expected. He separates the twins by pulling Rumble off of his brother. “Returning to base immediately.”

“Aw, fine, but I'm not done with you.” Frenzy laments, glaring at Rumble. You think that the three of them are just gonna start walking away through the hole that's (still) in your fence, or fly away. Rumble and Frenzy instead fold themselves up and into Soundwave's chest compartment. That's uh... something. You knew he had little cassette robots living in his chest, but you weren't expecting Rumble and Frenzy to part of that. Soundwave looks down at you, and you stare at him nervously. You expect him to leave again, but a voice from behind you makes you jump.

“Oh, (Y/N)! I heard a ruckus around here and I just wanted to make sure you were okay- Oh, my...” It's your neighbor from across the street, Mrs. White, and you see she's brought her husband with her. They're both about late 50s, and have always been very nice to you. You freeze and so does Soundwave. You're half expecting either one of them to start screaming and run to call the police, and you're not sure how Soundwave will react. 

“Is this one of those Autobots? Oh, how nice! I saw them on the news with the mayor!” Mr White says, approaching Soundwave and patting his leg. “You guys really are heroes, you know that?”

You wince, and keep glancing up at Soundwave to make sure he isn't gonna try and step on them or something.

Mrs. White speaks up, “Oh, honey, we should've grabbed our camera! Which Autobot are you, now?”

The two of them seem to be completely unaware that the Decepticon insignia is very visible on Soundwave's chest.

“This is-! Uh, Blast... wave... Yeah. This is Blastwave.” You laugh, smiling awkwardly. “He said there was some suspicious activity in the area, and wanted to check it out!” 

“Ooh, how exciting, well, we should leave you to it, shouldn't we, Mr. Blastwave.?” Mr. White says. 

Soundwave looks down at the couple, “Yes. I must return to my commander soon.” 

“Your commander? It's that Optimus Prime, isn't it? If there was a robot I'd like to take out for a beer, it'd be Optimus Prime! Showing those Decepticons what for.” Mr. White chortles, and you're just wincing, keeping one hand on Soundwave's leg, as if that could stop him from incurring his wrath on the Whites. 

“Dear, we should get back, the 3 o' clock news is about to start!” Mrs. White calls to her husband. Mr. White returns to his wife's side.

“Goodbye, Blastwave, and keep up the good work! (Y/N), we'll see you around!” Mrs. White calls, as she and her husband finally take their leave. Once out of sight, you breathe a tremendous sigh of relief, your whole body relaxing.

“Thank you for not killing those guys.” You call up to Soundwave. “At least you actually listened to me, unlike Rumble and Frenzy.”

“Perhaps next time I will not be so willing to follow orders.” He says simply. You hope there won't be a next time. 

“Right, I'll uh, keep that in mind.” You back away to reenter your house. “Um, goodbye Soundwave.”

Soundwave doesn't wave or say goodbye back, what he does instead is lower his mouthplate, and stick his tongue out at you. He puts the mouthplate back on, and takes off into the sky. 

You didn't think he had a tongue, or a mouth. Touché, Soundwave.

–

Soundwave talking about a “next time” really uneased you, so you should try and call up the Autobots now before any other Decepticons drop in for a visit. The phonebook is right where you left it, so you call up Spike again.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, Spike, is that you? I'm back, sorry about that.” You explain, hoping he won't try and bug you for details.

“I was wondering where you went! What were you going to ask me?” 

“Uh, so I was wondering if you and Bee could give me a ride to Autobot HQ, I need to talk to Optimus.” 

“Right now? Bumblebee's a little busy right now, but don't worry, I'll get you a ride. Is something wrong?” Is Bumblebee really busy or is he just saying that?

“...No, it's just something I need to tell him. It's important.” 

Spike hesitates, “If you say so. I can send a message to Teletraan I and someone'll be there in no time!”

“Thank you. See you later.” You hang up. He's going to send a message to whom? Just how many Autobots are there? Are they building new ones? 

You take a seat on your couch carefully, fearing that you may damage it more. You turn on your TV to some sort of movie channel. You don't really care what's playing, but you just don't want to sit alone in a quiet house. There's no doubt in your mind; Rumble and Frenzy like you. You wish that you could've asked Soundwave to try and keep them off your back. You wonder if Rumble wanted to kiss you too.

Alright, enough of that, where the hell is Bumblebee, or Optimus, or _whoever_. You'd really like to tell someone about all these incidents before you end up dying. Soundwave seems to have unwavering loyalty to Megatron. Is he going to tell him about you?

For a moment, you become enticed with the movie playing in the background. Something about a bunch of kids sitting around in detention. A car honks from outside, you peek out of the window to see a sleek red car sitting in front of your house. So they sent Sideswipe after you, huh? You haven't spoken to him since that incident down in the canyon. Alright, it'll do. 

You grab a few of your things and head outside, sliding into Sideswipe's passenger seat.

“(Y/N)! How have you been? It's been a while since I've seen ya. You doin' alright after getting roughed around by those Decepticons?”

“Y-Yeah. I'm alright. Just kind of... bruised.” You smile, tapping your fingers on your legs as Sideswipe takes off down the street.

“Spike told me you needed to speak to Optimus, but he said you wouldn't tell him why. Mind if I ask what's up?” Your fingers tense up and grip the fabric of your pants. _Goddamn it, Spike._

You sigh, “Sideswipe, can you keep a secret?” Might as well tell _someone_ about it.

“Sure I can, what is it?” 

“Well... a few days after you guys rescued me from the Decepticons, I was alone at my house, and someone knocked on my door. I answer it, but there's nobody there. Whoever was there left an entire rose bush on my porch. I thought it was some kind of weird prank, but later that night I hear some commotion around my house. I check outside, and Rumble and Frenzy are there. I got nervous and asked them what they wanted, but they said they wanted to 'hang out'.” You explain slowly.

Sideswipe pauses, “Are you serious? Did they hurt you? Also, what does the rose bush have to do with this?”

“That's the thing... they were the ones who left that rose bush there. I don't know why. They just kind of kept arguing with each other for a while, then Starscream showed up. He followed them, and Frenzy told him that I knew things about what the Autobots were doing. But I don't, I really don't. Starscream said he'd be keeping an eye on me.” 

Sideswipe hits the brakes in the middle of the street, you scream, and come close to hitting your head on the windshield. “Did anything happen after that? (Y/N), I know I said I could keep a secret, but you really need to tell Optimus about this.” He pulls over to the side of the road.

“I know, that's why I needed a ride, but I just needed to tell someone else about this.” You hesitate, not sure if you should really tell him about the other events, but finally relenting, “After Starscream, Rumble, and Frenzy left, I went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night. Frenzy came back, and he was knocking on my window. I was so tired, I tried to get him to leave, but he wouldn't. So I... let him inside, just for a little bit. He didn't attack me or anything, just really annoyed me. I just wanted to go back to bed, so I told him if he came back any other time then I'd let him in.”

“You _what_?” Sideswipe says incredulously. “You should've tried to call us!”

“I know, I know, it was a dumb thing to do, but he wouldn't leave! Then right before he left... he, uh...”

“What did he do? Did he hurt you? Steal something? What?”

“Frenzy... uh...” You eyes focus on the ground, while you struggle to speak. “He... kissed me.” You say the last part quietly, but Sideswipe still hears it. 

“He _WHAT_?!” Sideswipe exclaims, “Am I hearing this right, he _kissed_ you?”

You nod. “It... doesn't stop there. Right after he did... that, he left. I went back to sleep. When I woke up I wanted to call Spike to come give me a ride so I could talk to Optimus, but they came back again, Rumble and Frenzy. This time, they brought Soundwave with them. They didn't hurt me or anything, they just showed up and wouldn't leave again. Rumble came into my house and he uh, flirted with me? He told me how much better he was than Frenzy. They started fighting again, and Soundwave made them stop so they could leave. And then I called Spike, and here we are now.”

Sideswipe is speechless, but soon takes off full speed into the street. “You _really_ should've said something sooner!”

“I know, but it all happened so fast! Everything got so out of hand so quickly!” You argue, “It's not my fault.”

“I'm not blaming you for this. I don't know what those two are up to, but I wouldn't trust it for a second. I'm not sure if this is some kind of weird ploy from Megatron, or a cruel trick. Don't worry, (Y/N), I'll make sure nothing happens to you.”

You close your eyes, and lean your head against the window. “Yeah...”

–

Before you know it, you're at the Autobots' base. You exit the car, and Sideswipe transforms, following you inside. The inside still looks as incredible as it did the first time you came here. There's several other bots inside, some you recognize, some you don't. You also note that Bumblebee isn't here. You walk past all of them, but it occurs to you that you have no idea how to get around this place, and you have no idea if Optimus is even here. You turn to ask Sideswipe, but he's gone, off in the corner talking to Sunstreaker. You don't even know anyone here, so you decide to turn to the first bot who looks even remotely familiar: Ratchet. He's talking to... another vaguely familiar robot. What was his name? Whiplash? Flapjack? 

You tap on his leg, “Uh, hey, do you know where Optimus is?” 

Ratchet seems taken aback by your presence, “What-? Oh, it's you! (Y/N), right? I heard Sideswipe mention you earlier. As for Optimus, he's over there with Teletraan I.” He points off to the other side of the room. You nod, and head toward him. You're expecting to see Optimus talking to another robot but all you see is him in front of a computer. Did they name their computer? Is the computer another robot? That's kind of distressing to think about. _“Ha, Teletraan I lost the bet, now they have live in the wall.”_

Never mind that, you came here to talk to Optimus Prime, and that's what you're going to do. You stand behind him, and collect your thoughts.

“Optimus?” You say quietly. He turns around to you standing anxiously, shuffling in place.

“(Y/N), I've been expecting you. You said you wanted to speak to me?” 

You nod, “Yeah, but... can we speak in private? It's important.” 

“Of course.” Optimus picks you up and carries you into an empty room. Oh boy, déjà vu. You better not fucking cry this time. Once his attention is back on you, you start from the beginning, and pretty much tell him everything you told Sideswipe. Yes, including the embarrassing romantic parts. He only nods as you keep talking about your bad experiences. You exhale deeply as you finish your riveting tale.

“So... what do I do?” You kneel down in Optimus's hands, looking to him for an answer.

“That is... certainly a situation. Rumble and Frenzy might not be much of an issue, since they don't seem to want to hurt you, but Starscream may be. If he's true to his word, then who knows what he might try to do with you.”

“So, what, do I just lay low here for a couple of days?” You ask.

“That's an option, but I think it'd be the most comfortable for you to stay in your own home, but with one of us Autobots as a bodyguard, until this passes over.” Optimus says, setting you back on the ground.

“I guess that could work, but who's gonna come with me?” Since you don't really know any of the Autobots too terribly well, you're not sure who you'll get stuck with. Optimus is either going to go with someone you already know, or someone who he deems as the best guardian for you, AKA, the strongest Autobot.

Right as Optimus is about to answer, he pauses. “Just a moment.” And he leaves the room.

Oh, okay. You wonder if he's literally just going to go into the other room with all the other bots and ask them one by one until someone says yes.

You wait patiently in the empty room full of equipment and furniture you're too small to use. Both the exterior and interior of the ship are yellow. You wonder if that ever gets tiring to look at sometimes. Did Optimus just ditch you? _“I don't know how to help the human, we're out of here, guys, let's go find a car dealership to live in.”_

Just as you start up your old pastime of counting the bolts in the wall, Optimus returns, and from what you heard, it sounds like there's _two_ sets of footsteps coming down the hall rather than one.

You turn your head right as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee walk into the room. There probably isn't a word for the jumpkick your heart just did, but it sure is beating fast now. 

“Sorry for leaving so abruptly, but you and Bumblebee seem to be familiar with each other, right?” Optimus asks. 

_Oh, that's one way to put it._ You think to yourself, but nod anyway.

“Bumblebee, if anything happens, you two get out of there or try calling the base for backup.” He says, turning to address the smaller bot.

“You got it! (Y/N)'s in good hands.” Bumblebee replies, then turns to face you, “Do you wanna go back to your house? Since I guess I'll be spending a lot of time there now.”

“Uhh... yeah. Let's go.” You walk past Optimus and you shoot him a “look”. Not an angry look, more like a “I can't believe you've done this” look.

–  
As Bumblebee drives into the city with you in tow, he can't believe how lucky he's gotten. After your “date” he wasn't sure when the perfect time to come see you again would be. All Optimus told him is that you were being harassed by a couple of Decepticons, and he needed him to stay with you until... well, until they stopped. He supposes that he does owe it all to Sideswipe. He'd just gotten back from dropping off Spike when Optimus was talking to Sideswipe. He thought he'd heard your name, but just assumed it was something else.

He was minding his own business, until he heard from Sideswipe, “Hey, Prime, why don't we send Bumblebee on this mission? Him and (Y/N) are pretty friendly.” Why though? Does Sideswipe know something he doesn't?

It isn't long until him and Optimus are walking down the hall, and he's getting the details about what happened to you. He's not really sure _why_ the Decepticons would be trying to mess with you, but it doesn't matter. He's going to protect you no matter what. Maybe this way, he'll be able to make up for not being able to save you the first time around. That's how he ended up where he is now. You're in his passenger seat, arms crossed and looking out the window with an unreadable expression. Is he just overthinking, or do you only look like that when you're with him? Do you not like him? Are you wishing that you'd ended up with a bigger Autobot? Whatever the case, he's willing to prove himself to you, in more ways than one.

– 

Isn't this just quaint? You're stuck with the last bot you wanna see. Well, that's not exactly how you feel, and also it's kind of mean to say that. You just feel... awkward. You're in an unavoidable situation. What with Rumble and Frenzy coming around with their terrifying displays of affection, you haven't had the time to properly think about how you feel about Bumblebee. Looks like you're going to have to decide now. You're probably coming off cold and uncaring to him, but that's not what you want! You just don't know how to express your feelings properly. Don't forget about Starscream, and whatever he wants from you. Do you think he knows about Frenzy coming back to your house, or when Soundwave came over? You're intimidated and not sure of what exactly is going to happen to you, but hey, isn't this what you wanted? To meet the big robots and what may come? Whatever. You lean back in your seat, and try a little harder to not look so distressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i sincerely promise i won't take fuckin forever this time, but i can't say for sure when i'll update again  
> college, yknow  
> but i hope you liked this chapter and ily all <3


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